A shinobi in Earthland
by Bob Bandicoot
Summary: When team 7 went on a mission to retrieve some important artifacts stolen from Konoha by a rouge ninja, they never would have guessed that outcome. In pursue of the thief, Kakashi finds himself in land of magic and asks the help of one particular guild! More Naruto characters will appear later.
1. The fourth Hokage's seal

**Author's note: ****Hi everyone! This is my first ever fic. A Naruto/Fairy tail crossover with Kakashi as the main protagonist. Although, I am kinda dissapointed with how things in Naruto are going (another filler in the anime, once again too much focus on the Uchiha in the manga) I still think that most of the characters are really great, even though the story might have become a little weak (at least, in my opinion). I do not own Naruto or Fairy tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 1**

Team 7 was making their way swiftly through the thick forest, leaping from tree to tree.

"How much further Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Not much further. Come on, let's pick up the pace!" Kakashi answered.

"Yes sir!" Naruto, Sakura and Sai said emphatically.

"_Damn it, this guy is fast! We need to hurry" _the copy ninja thought.

* * *

><p><em>FLASHBACK<em>

Kakashi was in the Hokage's office. Tsunade was sitting at her office with a serious face, while Shizune was standing next to her holding, as usual, Tonton in her arms, looking worried.

"Did you ask for me, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, Kakashi" Tsunade answered. "As you probably have noticed, we are at a state of emergency. Konoha's security has been breached! A missing-nin has infiltrated the village and has stolen some important documents."

"What kind of documents?" the copy ninja asked.

"Documents concerning the fourth Hokage's fuinjutsu" the legendary sannin answered.

"The fourth Hokage's fuinjutsu?"

"Yes. You know better than anyone that the fourth was an expert in this area. It would be troublesome if information like this fall into the wrong hands."

"Do you have any ideas, why would he need information like this?"

"We believe that it is related to that mission you took some years ago, in that underground cave, Kakashi-san" Shizune said.

"There was an unusual large amount of chakra in that cave. Minato was sent there to seal it. You were in that mission too, weren't you?" Tsunade added.

"Yeah, I remember now. So he plans to undo the seal and take control of all that chakra?"

"It's very possible. Besides, there was another reason why that place was sealed. You remember, right?"

"Sure, but could he actually know about that?"

"I doubt it. Which makes it all the more necessary to take immediate action! Your mission is to retrieve those scrolls and, if possible, arrest this missing-nin."

"Naruto-kun and the others have been notified as well. They are waiting for you at the entrance of the village" Shizune added.

"You will tell them the details on your way there. Now go. And Kakashi, Be careful" Tsunade finished.

"Don't worry, I will." Kakashi said and left the office.

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

><p>Team 7 finally arrived at the entrance of an underground cave. It looked dark and deep and the air that came out of it was unusually chilly.<p>

"So this is the place?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, let's go" came the answer from Kakashi.

"It's really cold in here" Sakura said shivering once they went through the entrance of the cave.

"This place looks like it would fall apart at any time. Going deeper might be too dangerous" Sai noticed.

"We won't have to go much deeper. I think it's around here" Kakashi said scanning the ground as they moved deeper in the cave. "Ah, there it is!" he added once he found a trap-door. _"Damn it!"_ he thought. The trap-door was completely busted.

"We are late!" Sakura said with agony.

"He shouldn't be very far! Let's go!" Kakashi said anxiously

Team 7 entered the trap-door and hurried their way down the stairs that led to a long narrow underground passage. The rocks around them seemed to glow in a strange way they were surprisingly shiny, like they were polished. Their steps were echoing around the place as they made their way through a lengthy bridge. A light seemed to come from the end of the bridge that became brighter as the shinobi were approaching.

"We are almost there! Everyone, stay sharp!" Kakashi instructed.

"Yes sir!" the three young shinobi said.

Team 7 went through a small gate and finally entered a large room where the source of the light was coming. There was a perfectly round large stone that was emitting a soft azure light. Around the stone were two large seals, printed on the ground. The stone itself had some strange markings on it. In front of the stone was standing one man with his back turned on the Konoha shinobi.

"So, you finally caught up!" the man said with a chuckle as he turned around. He was tall, almost at same height as Kakashi. He was dressed in brown, with black boots, rough gloves and a large cape with a hood. He had wild black hair and black eyes with a little scar on his one eye similar to that one of Kakashi's. He was wearing no headband.

"Well, this is a rather interesting place. It took me a while to find it" he said with a smirk.

"It's over. You have nowhere to go. Surrender the scrolls and turn yourself in" Kakashi said in a stern voice.

"Over you say?" the rogue ninja said without losing his smile. "You sound like it's completely hopeless for me to react."

"You are currently in an one on four situation. You think you can take all of us at once?"

"Oh, I have no such illusions. I am not even sure if I can take on the great copy ninja Hatake Kakashi! At, least not yet" the rouge ninja said still smiling.

"Surrender the scrolls! I won't say it again!" the white haired jonin said in a calm voice, yet with a warning tone that showed that his patience for words has nearly reached it's limit.

"You mean these?" the rouge ninja said lightly lifting his right arm. He was holding two small scrolls. "Impressive, very impressive. The fourth Hokage was truly a genius. I haven't seen seals like this before. However, I am no stranger to fuinjutsu myself. It took me some time but I think I finally figured out how to unlock the seal. In fact, you have arrived just in time for the show!"

"Wait! You don't know what this seal is! It's not going to work as you think!"

"Really? Well, I suppose we are about to find out, aren't we?" the ninja said and leapt back over the stone, throwing both of the scrolls at the same time between the outer and the inner circles, one from the right side and one from left side. Kakashi instantly threw some shuriken, Naruto and Sakura did the same thing, while Sai drew with incredible speed one of his scrolls and attacked with two of his ink beasts. But it was already late, the moment the scrolls were pinned between the circles, the circles started to spin around shining brightly. The stone started glowing as well. The shuriken bumped once they reached the layer of the outer circle and the ink beasts were crushed, like they just hit an invisible barrier.

"HAHAHA! Yes, this is it! All this chakra! I feel it surging within my body. I feel my power growing!" the rogue ninja laughed.

"YOU FOOL! You don't know what you are doing! Stop it before it's too late!" Kakashi shouted.

"Kakashi-sensei what's happening?" Naruto asked while everyone was trying to withstand the force of the seal. The circles were now spinning so fast that the markings on them were just a blur. The stone was shining brightly and looked like it was about to explode.

"What power!" the rouge ninja said with awe. "And it's about to be mine!" he added as he slammed his hand on the glowing stone.

"No good! EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Kakashi yelled.

The stone exploded and a pillar of light was unleashed and spread towards the layer of the outer circle. The missing-nin was enveloped in the light and started floating above the ground, towards the ceiling until he disappeared.

Team 7 fell on the ground trying to withstand the force of the vortex. After a few moments things finally started to calm down, the force of the wind settled down and the light began to fade. The Konoha shinobi got on their feet.

"Well, this is something you don't see every day" Sai said calmly.

"What was that? What happened?" Naruto asked emphatically.

Kakashi shook his head slowly and approached the stone which was now glowing calmly.

"Kakashi-sensei …" Sakura said silently.

"I was afraid that something like that might happen" Kakashi said. "The fourth Hokage also speculated that something like this would happen if someone triggered the seal" The copy ninja turned to his team. "As you already know" he continued "this place has an unusually large amount of chakra. The fourth Hokage sealed most of it in this place," he pointed the stone "in this stone and part of it in these scrolls. There is still some all over the place, that's why the rocks around glow like this, but it isn't that much. However, if someone used these scrolls to temporarily undo the seal, all the chakra that was contained would burst out like we've just witnessed. That guy thought that he could absorb it or use it in some way but that wasn't the case."

"So what happened?" Naruto asked.

"This may sound a little strange. It's mostly a theory, but both the fourth and third hokage agreed on that. It's possible that this guy was transferred to another world" Kakashi said hypothetically.

"Huh?" the three young ninjas responded with clear surprise, even Sai, on their faces.

"What are you talking about? You mean that this guy is still alive?" Naruto said loudly.

"Oh, I am pretty sure he is. Maybe a little confused at first, but before long he will definitely be steering up trouble in some other world" Kakashi said with more certainty this time. "And it is our job to bring him back" he ended.

"WHAT?" Naruto jumped in surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei what do you mean?" Sakura asked with surprise as well.

"Now listen the three of you" Kakashi said seriously "I need you to go quickly back to the village and report everything that happened to Tsunade-sama. I am going after this guy."

"But how?" Naruto said with disbelief.

"With the same way that he left" Kakashi said simply.

"NO WAY!" Naruto and Sakura yelled at once.

"That did seem pretty dangerous. I am not sure if this is a good idea. I will have to agree with these two" Sai said with some concern on his face.

"It's all right. I was here when the fourth hokage made the seal. He told me this theory himself. I trust him!" Kakashi said with confidence. "Don't you Naruto?"

he added talking to the blond shinobi. Naruto's expression changed.

"I do!" he said with confidence and smiled.

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly and Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"I want you to give me one day lead to see what kind of world we will be dealing with. If I am not back by tomorrow I want a back-up team. Let Tsunade-sama decide who she thinks she should send. Here" he said as he pulled a scroll from his vest and threw it at Naruto "you what this is, right? This is a reverse-summoning scroll" the white haired jonin explained "When the back-up team arrives use it to summon Pakkun. He will have all the information that I will have assembled."

"Okay!" Naruto responded brightly.

"Now then" Kakashi said simply "it's time for me to go. Where are those scrolls? Ah, there they are!"

"Kakashi-sensei please, be careful!" Sakura cried out worried.

"Don't worry Sakura. Everything is gonna be fine. I trust my sensei, you should too" Kakashi said softly.

"Yes, sensei!" Sakura said whipping her tears.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan!" Naruto said loudly with his signature grin on his face. "Kakashi-sensei knows what he is doing!"

"Thank you Naruto" Sakura said with a light blush on her cheeks and a faint smile.

"Yeah, everything is going to be fine! Don't worry about a thing!" Sai said loudly with a big grin on his face too.

"Ehh, thanks Sai" Sakura said stammering.

"Hey, what are you doing? Are you mocking me?" Naruto yelled irritated.

"What? You do this expression when you want to cheer her up,don't you?" Sai said calmly "I was trying to cheer her up too. Besides, I read in a book that girls like signs of warmness and affection like this" he added.

Sakura blushed furiously, while Naruto was ready to explode.

"I WARN YOU, IF YOU DON'T STOP, I AM GOING TO FIND THOSE DAMN BOOKS OF YOURS AND USE THEM AS TINDER FOR MY RAMEN!" he shouted on top of his lungs.

"Ah, guys! You might want to move a little back" Kakashi warned. The three of them turned to see Kakashi holding the scrolls in his hands.

"Oh, it's time already?" Sai said simply "It's funny. Awhile ago, I said that this is something that you don't see every day, and now we are about to see it twice in the same day."

The young ninjas moved back while Naruto was grinding his teeth.

"All right then, here it goes!" Kakashi said as he threw the scrolls at the same spots where the rogue ninja had thrown them a while ago. Once the scrolls were pinned on the ground, the circles started spinning, the stone shone brightly once again, a pillar of light appeared and Kakashi found himself flying high in the air at an incredible speed. He kept moving higher and higher with such force that he felt like his body was spinning around uncontrollably. All he could see around him was a bright blue light. He wondered for how long he has been spinning around like this and when he would finally get somewhere or even if he was actually going to get somewhere. Then suddenly he felt like he was falling at a great speed. The air was whirring around him. Before he realized, he heard a bang and he found himself lying on the ground. "Aww! Ahhh! Oh, what a ride!" he thought. Kakashi felt the soft grass under him and a soft breeze blew on his face. He tried to get up. It took him a while to realize where he was since he was still dizzy. When he finally regained his composure, he looked around. "Ow!" he exclaimed. Kakashi found himself in the outskirts of a large city.

**Author's note: Well, there goes the first chapter. I am not sure how this has turned so please review and let me know what do you think. I will probably upload the next chapter some time during the following week. Until next time, take care.**


	2. The Land of Magic

****Authors note: Hi again, everyone! First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has read my story so far and especially those who have added to their favourites and their alerts, as well as my first two reviewers. Thanks a lot guys, it really means a lot to me. Anyway, chapter 2 is up and I hope everyone enjoys! Once again, I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.****

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 2**

Kakashi got on his feet, rubbing his head. "What a ride! Ah, where am I?" he wondered. Kakashi looked around. He was on the eves of a thick forest. Tall, green trees were all around him, and he could hear the sounds of a river somewhere deeper in the forest. There was a sight of buildings not very far from where he was standing indicating that he was close to a city. Kakashi took a deep breath of the fresh forest breeze and made his way towards the city. He soon entered and continued his walk, looking around with interest. The city looked nice and peaceful. People were casually walking, talking with each other or doing the shopping of the day. Kakashi overheard a couple of people talking.

"Those Fairy Tail mages went overboard again! Did you hear what happened on that last job they took?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have them any different. Besides, they were the ones that took down that dark guild."

"I heard that there were mages from other guilds with them too. But, I suppose they were the ones that did most of the work."

"They really are one great guild!"

Fairy tail? Mages? Kakashi wondered in what kind of he landed.

"Sitting around, wondering won't do any help" he pondered. "I should start from somewhere. Learning where I am and maybe finding this guild would be a good start" he continued his thoughts as he approached a young woman.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where I am?" he asked with some embarrassment. The woman looked at him with surprise, but she smiled politely.

"What a question!" she answered. "This is the city of Magnolia"

"Magnolia? That's an unusual name!" Kakashi thought.

"Can you show me where I can find a guild called Fairy Tail?"

"Oh, you have business with the mages? Sure, I'll show you. Follow me!" the woman said cheerfully. Kakashi followed the woman continuing to look around with curiosity.

"You are not from around here, are you?" the woman asked.

"Oh, is that so obvious?" Kakashi responded rubbing his head while giving an eye smile.

"Well, you do seem to be looking around a lot" the girl noticed with a laugh "You asked me where the guild of Fairy Tail is, which is something that everybody in the city knows, and you're dressed a little funny" she concluded looking at Kakashi's outfit.

"Yes, well, I am from a pretty far place" Kakashi mumbled. "Anyway, is there anything in particular about this guild that I should know?" the copy ninja asked louder.

"Well, some of the elders may know more than I do. I know that it's a pretty old guild and quite possibly the strongest. I know that recently they teamed up with some other guilds to defeat one of the strongest dark guilds. But that's not the only thing that makes special. They are a very lively guild! Every year they have a big festival called Fantasia which is a celebration for the entire city! They make a big parade with fireworks and all kinds of magic tricks! It's really beautiful!" the young woman said with a dreamy expression. Kakashi smiled.

"It seems I won't have a difficult time approaching them. They sound quite friendly" he thought.

"Recently, their strongest mage, Gildarts, returned" the girl continued "He's been away on some job for like three years. This should make things interesting. Oh, are you here to join Fairy Tail too? Are you also a mage?" the girl asked excitedly.

"Not exactly. I am not a mage. I just need their help on a problem that has been bothering me" Kakashi answered carefully "I can't say anything more than that"

"Ow, I see. Anyway, here we are!" the young woman said as they stopped in front of a building that looked like a big tavern. "I'll leave you to your business then" she said as she waved and started going away.

"Thanks a lot!" Kakashi waved back and turned towards the building. "So, this is Fairy Tail" he thought. He examined the building for a while. It was pretty large it looked quite new, like it had recently been built. Kakashi noticed a big orange flag which had a strange symbol on it that kinda looked like a fairy. "This must be their symbol" he thought. "Well, let's see what kind of people these Fairy tail mages are" he continued thinking, as he approached the door. Kakashi opened the door and entered the building. The room was very large, there was a big number of tables, a stand at the one side of the room of the room and across the room there was a bar and some stairs that probably lead to the second floor. There were a lot of people sitting around the tables talking lively, joking, drinking and laughing with each other. It was a very warm atmosphere. Kakashi made his way through the room, he walked past a man with short black hair, black beard who was dressed in white, a man with a funny haircut who wore a flowery light green shirt and a beautiful young girl with long curly brown hair who was wearing a blue bikini top and brown trousers, and was drinking from an insanely large glass of beer, who were all sitting in the same table, and headed towards the bar. There was a gorgeous white haired girl, with deep blue eyes dressed in a long, wavy red dress and she was talking with an equally beautiful girl, with shoulder length blond hair and brown eyes, who was wearing a blue skirt, a white top and black boots. They both turned their heads as Kakashi got near them.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where can I find the guild master?" the shinobi asked.

"Master? I think he is somewhere here" the white haired girl said as she scanned the room. "Ah, there he is, he is coming over here. Master!" she said loudly. The jonin turned his head towards the direction that the girl was looking. A very small old man was approaching them. He was bold with spiky white hair on the rear of his head, he had a thick white mustache and he was wearing a jester hat and colorful clothes.

"That's their guild master?" Kakashi thought with surprise.

"Good morning Mirajane, Lucy!" the old man greeted with a wide smile. "Who's our guest?" he asked as he turned towards Kakashi.

"We don't know. He just came here and he asked for you" Mirajane answered.

"Oh, is that so? What can I do for you, stranger?" the guild master asked.

"I have an important matter that I would like to discuss with you. Could we go somewhere, more private?" Kakashi said seriously.

"Hm, okay then. As you wish. Follow me" the old man said as he turned towards the stairs "You don't mind if someone else joined us too, do you, stranger?" he asked.

"Not at all" the copy ninja said.

"Good! Gildarts, join us upstairs" the guild master said as he waved at a tall muscular man, with reddish orange hair, who was sitting on the bar a little further from them. He was wearing a big black cape, armored shoulder pads and black trousers tucked into his boots.

"Sure, Master" the man said, as he got up.

"Gildarts? So that's the mage that girl was talking about" Kakashi thought "Fairy Tail's strongest mage"

The guild master and Gildarts went up the stairs that lead to the upper floor, followed by the jonin.

"What was that about?" Lucy asked puzzled.

"Who knows? I am sure Master knows what he is doing" Mirajane said with confidence, as she whipped a glass.

The three men went inside an office. The guild master sat on his desk, while Gildarts leaned on a wall next to the desk.

"So what's this important matter that you wanted to talk to me about, friend?" the old man said to Kakashi who was standing in front of the desk. "And first, I would like know your name" he asked.

"Of course" the white haired jonin answered "My name is Hatake Kakashi"

"Hatake Kakashi? That's a rather unusual name"

"I thought you might think so. This may sound a little strange but, have you ever heard about travelling between other worlds?"

"Travelling between other worlds? Hm… I've heard about such things in theory… But, I never thought that something like this could really happen" the guild master said thoughtfully. "So, you mean that you are actually …"

"From another world? Yeah" Kakashi completed.

"Well, that's something new!" Gildarts commented with a remark.

"This is really serious!" the guild master said with a concerned face. "Tell me, Hatake Kakashi, how did you get here? Is there a reason why you are here?"

"I'll explain everything. Please, listen to me carefully because you might find the story hard to believe" Kakashi narrated the whole story, about the pursue of the rogue ninja, the cave, the forth Hokage's seal and the way he travelled between the two worlds. The two mages were left in deep thoughts when Kakashi ended his story.

"I know that I failed my mission to stop that ninja from activating the seal" he continued. "So I took the risk of coming all the way over here to correct my mistake and complete my mission. To capture that guy before he causes any more trouble"

"That's an admirable attitude!" the old mage commented. "But do have any idea about this man's whereabouts? Do you know where to start?"

"I'm afraid I don't. It's possible that he landed in a different place than me. I am not sure how to find him"

"You know, this morning I heard that a man that fits your description appeared near Shinto town" Gildarts said rubbing his unshaved chin. "This could be your guy"

"That's not good. A new dark guild has appeared in the forest near that town. This could complicate things" the old mage said.

"A dark guild? You mean like Oracion Seis? I heard about it on my way here" Kakashi explained answering the mages' puzzled looks.

"I see. No, I don't think this guild is as powerful as Oracion Seis, nor is it a part of the Ballam Alliance" the guild master said. "It is relatively new, but quite strong, and it can be proved really dangerous if it goes on unchecked"

"It is not much, but it's my only lead" the white haired jonin said. "I should go now"

"Wait, you don't know how to get there" the old mage said. "Maybe you should take some of the guild's mages with you. I was thinking about sending a team to take down that dark guild anyway" he added thoughtfully.

"Hey, are you sure it's a good idea fighting another dark guild so soon?" the younger mage asked.

"I know, but it would be worse if we left this for later. Including their guild master, they have five powerful mages. We can't let them be any stronger, it would be too dangerous" the old mage responded. "However," he turned to Kakashi "I still don't know much about you, friend. You said you are a ninja?"

"Yes, I am a shinobi from Konoha, one of the five great ninja villages" Kakashi answered. "Let me explain to you some things. There are four ranks of shinobi, according to their strength and experience. The genin is the lowest rank, it's usually younger ninjas with little experience who are given simple missions. Next, is the chuunin who are more experienced, take more important and dangerous missions and, sometimes, they also lead squads. The highest rank is a kage. There are five kages, who are the leaders of each of the five great ninja villages, and they are named according to them. The Hokage is the leader of Konoha. They are all extremely powerful, and cannot be compared with regular shinobi. I am a jonin, the highest rank after the kages" Kakashi finished his explanation.

"Impressive!" the guild master commented. "And, if I may ask, you've been a jonin for a long time?"

Kakashi looked at him seriously. "I became a chuunin at my six. I've been a jonin since I was thirteen. I achieved that rank during the third great shinobi war" he answered. Both the mages looked at him surprised.

"I am known as the copy ninja Hatake Kakashi," the shinobi continued "the ninja who is said to have copied over a thousand jutsus. Thanks to this" he lifted his headband revealing his hidden eye. The pupil was read with tree black dots forming a circle "My Sharingan. How I got it is another story, that I wouldn't like to share right now" he said as he lowered his headband. "I've also been captain in ANBU squads, the special forces of the village. Usually I don't brag like this, nor i reveal such information, but I thought you should know a little more about the guy that you are thinking of trusting your precious mages to. I can promise that I will protect them" he finished with a steady voice.

"What an interesting guy!" Gildarts thought, with a smile.

"This guy is way more powerful that he looks" the guild master pondered impressed. "This jonin level sounds kinda like an S-class mage. And he became a jonin at such a young age. He also seems honest, experienced and reliable. I still have some doubts, but he seems fine for the moment. Besides, his story, the way he says he travelled, even thought it seems a little hard to believe, it does have some strong points that I remember reading about them" he turned his head towards Gildarts, and he nodded in agreement. He turned to Kakashi once again and smiled warmly "I think I still haven't introduced myself, have I?" he said cheerfully. "I am Makarov Dreyar, the master of this guild. Welcome, Hatake Kakashi of Konoha! Welcome, to Fairy Tail!"

Kakashi looked at the two mages' smiling faces and then he smiled himself.

**Authors note: Well, there goes the second chapter. It may take me a while to upload the next chapter, since I am a little busy with classes and driving lessons. But the next chapter will probably be a little longer, with more interactions and with some more action. Anyway, untill the next time, take care.**


	3. New Team Kakashi

**Author's Note: New chapter! Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you like it! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
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**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 3  
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The three men got out of the office and approached the balcony.

"So, what do you think about Fairy Tail, Hatake Kakashi?" master Makarov asked as they looked down at the lower floor. Kakashi looked at the rowdy crowd that was under him. They seemed noisier than when he first got there.

"It is certainly a lively guild, to say the least" he commented. His attention was drawn by a particular group of mages. "Who is that loud fellow with the pink hair?"

Gildarts laughed silently while master Makarov grinned widely.

"Heh, heh! I was sure that he would draw your attention. This is Natsu, one of the strongest members of the guild. He is the fire Dragon Slayer"

"Dragon Slayer?"

"Dragon Slayers are mages that have mastered the same magic as dragons in order to fight them" Gildarts explained. "Natsu was actually raised by the fire Dragon, Igneel"

"Really? What about the other two guys who are with him?"

"The one with the long, black, spiky hair is Gajeel, another dragon slayer. He is the iron Dragon Slayer. The big guy with the white hair is Elfman. He is the younger brother of that pretty girl, Mirajane, that you were talking to earlier. He has take-over magic, that means that he takes the form of another being when he fights" master Makarov explained.

"Exactly, how many Dragon Slayers do you have?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, there are those two. And Wendy, the newest member of our guild" the guild master said as he pointed at a young girl with long dark blue hair. "The sky Dragon Slayer"

"That little girl is a Dragon Slayer ?" Kakashi thought surprised. "You said that you are thinking about sending a team against this dark guild. You have any particular mages in mind for this?" he asked the old mage.

"I was thinking about asking you the same thing" Gildarts added as he looked at the guild master.

"Actually, I am thinking about Natsu's group. I know they just came back from that mission but, they've been together in several jobs lately. They've really learned how to function as a team"

"I suppose you know better" Gildarts said scratching his forehead. "Besides, I haven't been around lately so I can't be sure about what has been going on in the guild."

"I see" Kakashi said slowly. "Well, I suppose I should get down to take a closer look"

"Sure, we are coming down with you, too" the guild master said.

"And I think it would be better if we kept this whole travelling between worlds thing to ourselves for the moment." The two mages nodded in agreement as the three of them made their way down the stairs. Mirajane turned her head as the three men were approaching Lucy and her.

"Oh, you are finished?" she asked as came closer to them "So, master, may we ask who your friend is?" she continued with a smile.

"Of course! This is Hatake Kakashi. He is a shinobi" master Makarov responded.

"A shinobi? You mean like a ninja? A real one?" Lucy reacted surprised "I didn't know they actually existed!"

"This is my first time seeing one too" Mirajane said "Have you come here for a job request mister Hatake Kakashi?" she asked the ninja kindly.

"Ehh, something like that" Kakashi said startled by the young girl's formality "Please, just call me Kakashi. There is no reason to be so formal. I am not that old either"

"As you wish!" the girl said with a sweet smile.

"Yo, Lucy!" the loud pink haired mage greeted cheerfully as he put his arm around the blond girl's shoulders.

"Argh, not so loud Natsu! Where do you find this energy so early in the morning anyway?" Lucy said as she rubbed her ears.

"Sorry about that! It's just that Happy and I found an easy job and we thought we should let you know. We could easily finish this quickly and be back by noon. And the payment is pretty good. It should more than enough for your rent this month!" Natsu said with a big grin.

"Aye!" a small blue winged cat added with enthusiasm as he was floating over Natsu's right shoulder.

"Did the cat just talk?" Kakashi thought puzzled "And why does it have wings?"

"Thank you guys" Lucy said smiling and with light blush.

"That's Natsu for you! Always thinking about his friends!" Mirajane said proudly.

"No problem! Hey, Lucy, who's this guy?" Natsu said as he noticed the shinobi.

"Oh, this is Hatake Kakashi" Lucy said politely as she introduced him "He came to the guild for a job request. And, Natsu, try to stay calm ok? He is a ninja" she continued with a nervous smile.

"Why is she so nervous?" Kakashi wondered but he didn't wait long to find out why.

"Wow, a ninja? A real one? That's great!" Natsu said with excitement "Look! I am a ninja too!" he added as he lifted his scarf and wrapped it around his head to make it look like a mask "Nin, nin, nin!"

Kakashi sweatdropped "What is he doing?" he wondered.

"Good job keeping your cool Natsu" Lucy said with a facepalm.

"Natsu gets easily excited!" Happy said as he continued floating around.

"Natsu you fool!" master Makarov mumbled while Gildarts and Mirajane were laughing.

"So, tell me, tell me!" Natsu continued with the same enthusiasm as he leaned closer to Kakashi "Do you have any of these ninja stars? Or knives? Can you show me?"

"Sure this is standard equipment. But I would prefer it if they remained hidden" Kakashi said with a conclusive tone in his voice.

"Aww, come on now!" Natsu groaned with disappointment.

"Natsu get a hold of yourself already!" Lucy said a bit annoyed "Don't act like a kid!"

"Hey, what's all that noise?" a young, muscular, dark haired man said as he joined the group "Why is that idiot shouting for?"

"What was that?" Natsu said angrily.

Kakashi's not covered eye rolled in surprise as he stared at the newcomer "What on earth?" he wondered.

"Oh, for the love of … Put some clothes on Gray! We have a guest here!" Lucy shouted.

"What? Gahh!" the dark haired mage jumped in surprise as he realized that he wore nothing but his underwear.

"Ha, ha!" And then you call me fool!" Natsu laughed.

"At least I wasn't jumping around like a moron pretending to be a ninja" Gray responded.

"What was that again? Do you want a fight freeze head?" Natsu said aggressively.

"Bring it on flame brain!" Gray said as the two of them collided their heads grinding their teeth.

"What's the deal with them?" Kakashi asked puzzled "Why are they fighting?"

"Don't mind them" Mirajane said smiling "They do that all the time"

"Natsu and Gray always fight like that" Happy commented.

"Guys, stop it already! Erza is on her way here! Do you want her to see you two fighting again?" Lucy whispered nervously.

"Huh? So what? Erza doesn't scare us anymore!" Natsu said with confidence.

"Yeah! We are past beyond the point where she would just yell at us and we would jump around like Happy and say "Aye". She can't tell us what to do anymore. If we want to fight, we will fight" Gray said with the same confidence.

"Are you sure about that?" a voice was heard behind them.

The two of them froze in their places and turned around slowly. "Erza?" they whispered.

Kakashi turned as well to see the newest addition to their rather large group. It was a stunningly beautiful young girl with long crimson red hair and pretty dark brown eyes. She wore an upper silver colored armor with a yellow cross like marking on it, matching armor gauntlets, a blue skirt and black boots. She had an angry expression on her face and she looked rather intimidating with her hands on her waist.

"So, do you want to repeat those words you said earlier?" the red haired girl said calmly.

"What words? What are talking about? We didn't say anything, did we Gray, buddy?"

"No, of course not! We were just hanging out and…"

"Fighting? How many times have I told you? No more fighting between the two of you!" the red haired girl said angrily.

"Aye!" the young mages said with one voice and their arms on each others shoulders.

"They did become Happy after all" Lucy said with a sign.

"Aye" Happy said with deadpan face.

"Heh, heh! Some things never change!" Gildarts laughed silently.

"I can't believe they actually stopped" Kakashi mumbled.

"Fortunately, Erza can still maintain some order around here" master Makarov said with relief.

"Good" Erza signed "So, master who's our guest?" she asked as she turned to the old mage with a kind smile.

"Erza, this is Hatake Kakashi, a shinobi. Kakashi, this is Erza Scarlet, one of our S-class mages" the old mage made the introductions.

"Nice to meet you" Kakashi greeted. "You said S-class mages?" he asked as he turned to the guild master.

"Yes" the guild master said with a grin "You told us about your ranks but I haven't told about ours, have I? The mages who have the pride of calling them S-class mages are among the strongest mages in the country and the strongest in the guild. They have the right of taking S-class jobs, jobs that are too hard for other mages and sometimes they take jobs from the council itself. Erza is one of our S-class mages. So is Mirajane and, of course, Gildarts!" he continued as he showed each of them respectively. "Well, there is also Mystogan, but he is hardly ever around!" he concluded.

"Hey, what do you mean the strongest in the guild?" Natsu said annoyed "I can take on each one of them right now. Gildarts, fight me!" he said decisively as pointed his finger at the tall mage.

"Calm down already, Natsu" Gray said irritated "Gildarts would probably just sweep the floor with you once again. Anyway" he continued ignoring the pink haired mage's protests "it's a little strange that you don't know what an S-class mage is. Where are from again?" he asked the shinobi.

"I am from hidden shinobi village from far in the east" Kakashi said. "There aren't many mages there."

"Hatake Kakashi, fight me!" Natsu suddenly said.

"What?" Lucy, Gray and Happy said surprised.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi asked puzzled and surprised as well.

"I have never fought with a ninja before. I want to see how strong you are. Besides, you say that you haven't seen many mages, right? Don't you want to see for yourself how strong mages can be?" Natsu said with a big grin, a fire burning in his eyes and his fist raised.

"I think it's a good idea!" master Makarov said suddenly.

"Master!" Mirajane and Erza said surprised. Gildarts nodded in agreement.

"I would like to see Natsu fight against someone else for a change. I agree with this too" he said.

Kakashi looked seriously the old master for a while and then he turned to see Natsu's determined face.

"Fine" he said "But not here. Let's take this outside"

"You don't mean that you two are actually going to fight!" Lucy said shocked.

"Natsu always knows how to make new friends!" Happy commented.

"Okay, let's go then!" Natsu said enthusiastically and rushed outside.

"What a guy" Gray sighed.

"Guys, are you sure this is all right?" Lucy asked.

"It's fine. Master approves it. Although, this is a little unusual" Erza said thoughtfully.

"Well, let's go then, shall we?" Mirajane said lightly.

"Hey, Gray where did Natsu run off to like this?" the man with the white coat asked as they made their way out of the building.

"That idiot got himself in a battle again, somehow" the black haired mage said.

"With Gildarts again?"

"No. Come on, Macao you will come out anyway. Come and see for yourself"

"Well, so much for a quiet morning! Wakaba, Cana, shall we?" the man said smiling as he turned to the other people who shared the table with him. The three of them got up and followed the others. Soon, the entire guild had stepped out of the building and waited eagerly for the battle to start.

"Who's that guy that Natsu is fighting?" the brunette girl asked Lucy.

"Oh, he is some ninja guy who came here for a job request. I suppose he wasn't expecting this" Lucy said nervously.

"A ninja? Well, this should be interesting!" Cana said with a chuckle.

"Lucy-san! Erza-san!" the little dark haired girl shouted as she ran towards them, followed by a small, white winged cat.

"Wendy!" Lucy said.

"Lucy-san, what's going on? Why is Natsu-san fighting?" Wendy asked.

"Don't worry Wendy, Natsu is always like this" Erza said reassuringly "He just got excited because he found another strong guy to fight. Don't worry, everything is fine"

Wendy sighed relieved. "See, Charle there's nothing to worry about" she said to the white cat.

"Hmm. I know, I told you so. This guild gets so easily worked up, for no reason. Seriously, can't we have some quiet around here?" the cat said annoyed.

"Ow, come on now. Don't be like this" Wendy said.

Natsu and Kakashi were standing one opposite from the other.

"Go for it, Natsu!" Happy shouted to encourage him.

"Sure Happy!" Natsu responded with enthusiasm.

Kakashi was looking at his opponent observantly.

"So, according to the guild master, this guy is a Dragon Slayer. I have never seen a dragon myself but I suppose this guy must be pretty strong if his magic is powerful enough to fight one. Also, since he is the fire Dragon Slayer he must be using fire based attacks, that much is obvious" he thought. "Apparently, those two want to get an idea of how strong I am, that's why they encouraged this fight. Plus, I have no idea how a mage fights. I can't go all out, but I can't take him lightly either. What should I do? Anyway, I need to finish this quickly. I can't waste any more time here."

"Yo, are you ready ninja?" the mage asked cracking his knuckles.

"Ready when you are" the shinobi said taking a battle stance.

"Good! I am getting fired up!" Natsu said taking his battle stance too. "Let's go!" he said as he dashed forward.

"He's fast" Kakashi thought. Natsu attacked with a number of quick punches, followed by a hard side kick which Kakashi blocked. "He is strong too" he thought as he was slightly pushed back by the force of the hits. Natsu continued his attack with a rapid spinning kick. Kakashi dodged and countered with a straight kick that got Natsu on the chin and sent him flying a few meters back but, it didn't seem to have much effect since he landed on his feet.

"That was a nice hit!" Natsu said smiling as he rubbed his chin.

"He is also pretty tough" Kakashi continued his thinking.

"All right then, how about this. Karyu no Tekken!" Natsu said as he attacked again with his fist warped around in bright flames.

"A fire based attack just as I expected" Kakashi thought as he stepped back, grabbed Natsu's flaming hand by the wrist turned him around in mid air and threw him to the other side of the field.

"Wow, that was a nice move!" Cana said impressed.

"This guy is a ninja. It's only natural for him to be strong in hand to hand combat. No surprise there" Erza said.

"Natsu-san" Wendy said worried.

"I just hope Natsu doesn't go overboard again" Lucy said a little worried.

"This guy is pretty good" Natsu thought "Okay then, I'll use this. Karyu no Hokou!" he said as he threw a blast of flames.

"That was exactly what I was afraid of" Lucy said.

"What is he doing? He is going to turn this guy to ashes!" Cana said.

Kakashi remained steady against Natsu's breath attack. "I suppose it can't be helped" he thought calmly as he rapidly waved a number of hand seals. "Katton, Gokakyu no jutsu!" he said as he shot a large fireball. Everyone was stunned in surprise as they saw Kakashi's counter attack.

"Huh? Did that guy just threw fire? But how?" Lucy said shocked.

"Impossible!" Cana said surprised as well.

"The ninja can use magic!" Happy said.

"But how? Is he mage too?" Erza wondered.

The blast of flames and the fireball collided in the middle of the field with a huge clash.

"This isn't good. Maybe I should contain the flames" Kakashi thought. Suddenly, the flames started to go out. "What is going on?" the copy ninja thought surprised. He didn't wait long to find out the answer as he saw Natsu quickly eating up the flames.

"Heh, now that I've eaten I'm all revved up!" the Dragon Slayer said with a smile, wiping his mouth.

"He ate up the flames?" Kakashi thought shocked.

"I don't know how you did this but fire attacks won't work against me. You're pretty strong thought. This is great!" Natsu said excited.

"You're pretty good too" Kakashi said calmly.

"Heh, thanks! Let's continue then" Natsu said as he prepared to charge again.

"It seems that he powered up as well. This could take longer than I thought. I need to finish this now" the copy ninja thought.

"Karyu no yokugeki!" Natsu said as he attacked again surrounding his arms in flames.

"An opening. This is my chance!" Kakashi thought as he reached one of his pockets, grabbed a smokebomb and threw it to the ground. He was immediately surrounded in a thick cloud of smoke. Natsu was already in mid air so he attacked blindly into the thick smoke. There was a loud bang, dust, flames and smoke were all around and nothing was visible for a while. Soon, the smoke cleared and everyone saw Natsu standing, looking around puzzled. Kakashi had vanished.

"Huh? Where is he?" Lucy asked confused.

"Is this another trick?" Cana said looking around suspiciously.

"What kind of guy is that? Where has that idiot got himself into again?" Gray said.

"He used something to create the smoke. I saw that. But where is he?" Erza said.

"Maybe he flew up high" Happy said looking at the sky.

"Oh, come on don't be ridiculous now!" Charle said.

"Hey, where are you? Stop hiding! Come out and fight! HEY!" Natsu shouted looking around. Suddenly, a hand came out of the ground and grabbed his leg. "GAHH!" Natsu shouted and felt himself pulled down. Everyone jumped in surprise and by the time they realized what happened Natsu was buried to the ground with his head popping out and was standing in front of him.

"How's this?" he said lightly as he kneeled "Dotton, Shinsu Zatsu no jutsu. I think this ends the fight" he continued as he moved towards the crowd.

"Hey, what's this? Get me out of here! Come back!" Natsu shouted angrily.

"What just happened? How did Natsu got there?" Lucy asked stunned.

"I don't know. One moment he was standing there and then, this" Cana said confused.

"Oh, no! Natsu's body is gone!" Happy said dramatically as he started flying around Natsu's popping head. "What am I going to do now?"

"Calm down Happy, he is just buried to the ground. Even thought I am not sure how that happened" Lucy said. Wendy next to her was shaking.

"Natsu-san!" she shouted dramatically and fell to the ground.

"Wendy!" Lucy and Carla said worriedly and knelled next to her.

"Don't worry, she's fine. She just fainted" Erza said who had knelled as well.

"Hey, come back! Damn it!" Natsu said angrily. He charged up, surrounding himself in flames and with a roar he freed himself from the ground, leaving a big hole where he was buried.

"Hey, where are you going? The fight is still on!" he shouted at Kakashi.

"No, the fight is over. You should know when to stop" the copy ninja said seriously.

"It's not over! I am still standing here, aren't I? Come on, let's finish this without tricks!"

"Give it up already you idiot, you lost" Gray said angrily "Stop making such a big fuss about it."

"What was that? You want a go ice head?"

"What, you want to get your ass kicked again? Fine!" The two hot headed mages started fighting again while Kakashi turned around and looked at them. "They are like how they used to be" he thought with a sad smile remembering his two students. His attention was drawn to the group of girls where Wendy has started to regain consciousness.

"What happened?" she asked dazed. "How's Natsu-san?"

"Look for yourself" Erza said smiling. Wendy saw Natsu and Gray fighting and sighed relieved.

"Hm, see everything is fine! Why did you have to worry us like this for no reason? Geez, you're always overreacting like this" Charle said annoyed but still a little worried.

"Sorry everyone" Wendy said shyly with a light blush.

"It's alright, don't feel bad about it" Cana said smiling reassuringly. "We're just happy that you're fine."

"Hey, are you okay?" Kakashi asked Wendy politely leaning a little over her.

"Y-Yes" Wendy stammered. "I'm fine sir, thank you for asking."

"That was some impressive moves you did there Kakashi" Erza said "I never thought that ninjas could be that strong."

"Yeah, well he is pretty strong too" Kakashi said. "Anyway, I need to speak to your guild master again"

"As you think. Look at these two go again" Erza said annoyed. "I think someone needs to go and split them up again" she continued as she made her way to the field.

"Oh, this should be fun" Cana said laughing.

"Yeah, in a kinda scary way" Lucy added. Kakashi moved towards the guild master and Gildarts who where standing a bit further than the others.

"Impressive victory Kakashi" master Makarov commented.

"He let his guard down. If the fight had gone on for longer he would probably have won. So, who are the mages that he has been teaming up with lately? I suppose one of them is Gray, right?"

"Hm, how did you get that?" the old mage asked smiling.

"Just a hunch. And I guess the other ones are Lucy and maybe, Erza?"

"Hey, this guy is good" Gildarts said.

"Just a good observer" the white haired jonin said.

"Well, you are right. It really is Lucy, Gray, Erza and of course Happy. You missed that one" master Makarov said.

"Those were some nice tricks you did there. How did you do them?" Gildarts asked.

"In the world that I have come from we shinobi have trained in using our chakra among other things. What may look like magic to you is what we call jutsu."

"Chakra, huh?"

"Yeah, anyway I am thinking about talking to these guys and explaining them the situation. That's, if you have made up your mind. Are you going to send them in that mission that you are thinking about? Do I have your permission to talk to them?"

"Hmm, yes you can go and talk to them" the old mage said. "You think you can handle them thought? You know, as a team?" he asked with a smile.

"Don't worry, I have experience in situations like this. They kinda remind of my old team. Thank you Makarov-sama" he said and walked towards the young mages.

"Makarov-sama? See Gildarts, that's respect! When was the last time you talked to me like that?"

"Oh, come on now! Anyway, do you trust this guy?"

"Well, I still have a few doubts but I think I'll trust him. He does seem honest, trustworthy and reliable and besides, now that I think about it, it's not the first time that I have heard about travelling from other worlds. What about you?"

"He certainly is strong. And are right, he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Well, if you think he is fine, then he is fine for me too."

"Good" master Makarov said. Kakashi approached the small group of mages. Erza had stepped up again and had stopped the other two guys from fighting.

"Hey, you're back. So, you're here to continue the fight?"

"Natsu!" Lucy said angrily.

"No. I need to talk to the four of you. In private please" Kakashi said seriously. The young mages looked each other surprised and nodded. They followed the white haired jonin to a quieter place with Happy flying behind them. Kakashi explained his story and told them about the guild master's thoughts. The young mages listened carefully.

"Well, that's quite a story!" Gray said.

"So, you are actually from a different world?" Lucy asked.

"Yes" Kakashi nodded.

"This does explain some things" Erza said.

"Probably, but you don't need to bother with him. It's my mission to take care of him. However, I don't know to get there and it seems that you have business there as well. So, in few words I need your help. What do you think?"

"You don't have to ask twice. Fairy Tail always gives help to those who need it" Natsu said with a big grin. "Besides, it seems that we have a job to do there as well"

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Natsu" Erza said proudly.

"A new mission already, huh?" Gray said with a smile.

"You guys are crazy! We just came back from one of the hardest missions we've ever had" Lucy said. "Oh well, if everyone's coming then, I guess I'll come too"

"That's the spirit Lucy!" Natsu patted her on the back.

"Aye!" Happy added enthusiastically.

Kakashi gave them an eye smile. "Okay then. We should go back to the guild so you can talk to your guild master about the details of the mission." The small group entered the building that was now full again, since the rest of the mages had entered it once again after the battle was over, and approached the bar where the guild master was sitting.

"So, it seems that you guys have reached an agreement" master Makarov said smiling. "Okay, now listen" he continued seriously "the dark guild that you are going to face is called Black Wing. They have five strong mages in total, including their guild master, that you need to be wary off. You will take the train from Magnolia Station in order to get there."

"Ow, man!" Natsu groaned.

"Okay, I need you to be ready as soon as possible. Take whatever you think is absolutely necessary. I'll be waiting at the entrance of the guild" Kakashi said.

* * *

><p>About an hour later Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza and Happy were waiting in front of the guild.<p>

"Where is this guy, already? He is the one who told us to wait here! And he doesn't even bother to show up!" Lucy whined.

"I'm getting hungry. I am going to make something to eat" Natsu said.

"I'm coming too. I saw some fresh fish earlier" Happy said.

"Just don't take too long. This guy may be here any minute now" Gray said.

A few moments later, Natsu and Happy came out, holding a large sandwich that was so stuffed that it looked like it would fall apart at any moment and a big fish respectively.

"Are you actually going to eat all this?" Lucy asked in disbelief staring at the huge sandwich.

"Yeah, why?" Natsu asked innocently munching his snack.

"Where do you find this appetite?" Lucy mumbled.

"Hi guys!" Kakashi greeted from top of the entrance.

"You're late!" Lucy said pointing her finger at him.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I just took a quick look at the city and got a little bit lost" Kakashi said as he landed next to them.

"What kind of ninja gets lost?" Lucy mumbled.

Kakashi took a look at the young mages. "I see you made a snack" he said to Natsu who mumbled something with his mouth full. "Good, I see you are dressed this time" he said to Gray.  
>"Hey!" Gray said annoyed.<p>

Kakashi turned to Erza and sweatdropped. Erza was leaning on a heavily loaded wagon, full with all kinds of staff. "I thought I told you to take whatever you think is necessary. You are not going to carry all this staff with you, are you?" he asked.

"Of course! I must be ready for everything" Erza said simply.

"We'll have to move fast. This will slow us down" Kakashi said. "Now, if you're all set, let's be on our way."

"All right then" Natsu said after finishing his snack "I'm getting fired up! Let's go!" he said with excitement and rushed forward.

"Aye sir!" Happy said and rushed as well, followed by the rest of the team.

**Author's note: Well, there goes this chapter and it looks like it's a little larger than my previous ones. I kinda like it the way it turned out to be. I hope you enjoyed it too. See you next time!**


	4. Battle in the forest

**Author's note: New chapter! I know it's been a while since I last updated but I've been kinda busy lately so it took me a little longer than I expected to write this one. Anyway, here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Once again I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
><strong>

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 4**

The ninja was walking down the road along with the mages. Natsu was walking casually with his arms around his head, while Gray was walking at a slower pace with his hands in his pockets. Erza was still pulling the heavily loaded wagon with surprising ease and Lucy was moving along with them looking at a map with Happy floating around her.

"So, how far is this town that we are headed?" Kakashi asked.

"It's not very far. First we need to get to Magnolia Station, on the outskirts of the city, to get the train and then it's about half an hour trip until we arrive at Shinto town" Lucy responded.

"Anything in particular that I should know about this town?" Kakashi asked.

"Not much. It's just a small town where people mostly occupy themselves with farming and trading magical items" Gray said.

"Good. I think then that we should make use of this time until we get to the station" Kakashi said. "You guys could tell me about what kind of magic each of you use"

"Okay then, I'll go first!" Natsu said excitedly. "I am the Fire Dragon slayer. I use fire magic and… Wait a minute, why am I telling you all this?" the pink haired mage wondered scratching his head. "You already know all this stuff! We fought a while ago!" he said pointing his finger at the ninja.

"I know that" Kakashi said a little irritated. "That's why I'm asking everyone else. What about you Gray?" he asked as he turned to the dark haired mage.

"Well, I guess since we'll be together in this mission it makes sense for you to know a little bit about our magic. I use Ice Make magic" Gray said forming a small ice crystal in the palm of his hand.

"Ice magic huh?" Kakashi said. "So one of you uses fire magic and the other one uses ice magic. No wonder why you guys fight all the time. Please don't start" the ninja said as the two mages glared each other. "What about you Lucy?" he asked as he turned to the blond girl.

"Me? Well, I'm a celestial mage. I summon spirits" Lucy said with a slight blush.

"Really? How?" Kakashi asked with wonder.

"There, I'll show you" Lucy said as she pulled a silver key from her belt. "I open the gate of the canine, Nichola!" she said with a clear voice as a strong light surrounded her. The key flashed and then a white, strange little creature appeared. It was very small, with a round head, black eyes that looked like dots, a long, sharp, conical nose and it seemed to tremble uncontrollably.

"Plue, plue" the small creature said as it started to move around like it was dancing.

"So what do you think?" Lucy said proudly.

"That's all?" Kakashi asked puzzled.

"What do you mean that's all?" Lucy said annoyed.

"Well, it sure looks kinda cute but, it doesn't seem like it can do much" Kakashi said after taking a closer look at Plue.

"Hey, don't talk about Plue like that!" Lucy said angrily as she gently took the small creature to her arms. "Besides, I can summon stronger spirits if I want to!"

"Oh, really? Sorry then, I didn't want to offend you" Kakashi said with an embarrassed smile scratching the back of his head. His eyes then fell on Happy. "So, is he a summon too?" he asked pointing at the Exceed.

"What? A summon?" Happy exclaimed shocked.

"What are you talking about? Happy is not a summon! Happy is Happy!" Natsu said loudly surprised as well.

"Okay then. Maybe we should get a move on" Kakashi signed. As the small group resumed its walk, Kakashi moved closer to Erza. "So what kind of magic do you use Erza?" he asked.

"Requip magic" the red haired girl responded calmly. "I can summon weapons and I can also change my armor" she explained.

"Interesting" Kakashi mumbled. "Her magic sounds similar to Tenten's weapon summoning jutsu" he thought. "Your guild master mentioned earlier that you are an S-class mage" he continued with a lower voice as Natsu and Gray started arguing again "so I take it that you are the strongest among them?" he asked.

Erza smiled. "Maybe that was the case a while ago, but now I'm not that sure. It's true that when we were younger I was stronger than Natsu or Gray. Those two would challenge me all the time and even thought they ended up getting beaten every time, they just wouldn't give up. Anyway, now I don't think that I'm actually stronger. Natsu and Gray never back down when it comes to protecting their friends and that's making them even stronger, besides their magic power. Even Lucy is strong in her own way" the red haired beauty said softly, looking at her friends with care and some pride.

"You talk for your friends with great regard and respect, and it's obvious that you care deeply about them. You are a really special girl Erza Scarlet!" Kakashi said with respect and admiration.

"Oh, thank you. That's … very kind!" Erza said a little surprised by Kakashi's compliment with a slight blush. Kakashi gave her an eye smile when Natsu's loud voice was heard.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about? Why are you mumbling?" he asked.

"None of your business Natsu!" Erza said with a firm voice changing her attitude as fast as she changes her armor.

"Fine, I was just curious. You don't need to have this tone!" Natsu said irritated.

"Ssh! You'll make her mad again!" Lucy whispered.

"Okay… So, how much longer Lucy?" Kakashi asked.

"Not very long, we'll be there soon! You don't have to ask me all the time" Lucy said still a little annoyed from before.

"All right then! Tell me when we get there" Kakashi said lightly, taking a small green book with a colored cover out of his pocket and started reading it.

"What's this?" Happy asked as he flew behind the ninja's head, trying to take a look at what he was reading.

"Hey, this isn't for kids. Besides, it's not very kind trying to peek at what other people are reading without asking" Kakashi said.

"Why? I'm curious, I want to see" Happy said as he tried to get a better look. He managed to get a better view and read a few lines when suddenly, his eyes popped out, his face turned red and he put his hands to his mouth after taking a shocked expression.

"I warned you" Kakashi said calmly flipping a page.

"Huh? Are you okay Happy?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy!" cried as he flew towards her. "It's a dirty book!" he said with a dramatic tone in his voice.

"What?" Lucy said shocked, blushing furiously. The other three mages turned towards Kakashi surprised as well.

"A dirty book!" Erza stammered blushing too.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far as calling it a dirty book. This is just insulting" Kakashi said simply. "Maybe you could call it an erotic novel for adults."

"Icha Icha" Gray read the title of the cover. "Yeap, this definitely looks like a dirty book" he said.

"Pervert! How can you read this in the middle of the road this casually, like there's no problem?" Lucy said loudly, still shocked.

"Don't you think you're overreacting a little bit? I do this in Konoha all the time. At least I'm not walking around wearing a skirt that short" Kakashi responded.

"What?" Lucy said stunned.

"He is right you know. Your skirts are usually pretty short" Gray said.

"I don't want to hear that from you Mr. I am not wearing my shirt!" Lucy said angrily.

"Hey, can I take a look?" Natsu asked, ignoring Lucy's shocked face.

"Sure, why not. Just don't ruin it" Kakashi said bored and gave him the book. Natsu took the book and started reading it intensely. After barely finishing a couple of pages, he started laughing loudly.

"Haha! A dirty book? Haha this is hilarious!" he said between his laughs.

"You can give it back if you don't like it you know. You don't need to make fun of it!" Kakashi said annoyed. "He is worse than Naruto" he thought after remembering how his student usually reacted when he was reading that book.

"No way, this is too funny! I'll give it to you later" Natsu said as he continued to read the book laughing. Kakashi signed.

"Well, it's a good thing that I brought a spare!" he said as pulled a second copy of Icha Icha from his pocket and started reading it.

"How many of these do you carry around?" Lucy asked loudly.

* * *

><p>The mages and the shinobi finally reached the Magnolia Station.<p>

"So, this is the train huh?" Kakashi said after taking a look at the long railway machine.

"What, you don't have trains in your world?" Gray asked with wonder.

"No, not really. We do have stuff like headsets and computers but when it comes to transportation we are extremely old-fashioned. I haven't thought about that before. It's a little strange actually. Now that I think about it, I think we do have trains but we don't actually use them" Kakashi said thoughtfully talking more like to himself rather to the mages. The young mages stared at each other with blank looks, wondering what on earth this guy was talking about.

"Anyway" Gray said after a short pause "I'm going to get the tickets"

"And I'm going to make some arrangements for our luggage" Erza said referring to the heavily loaded wagon that she was carrying.

"Can she actually take all this stuff with her?" Kakashi asked once the two of them left for their tasks.

"Yeah, she does that all the time" Natsu said lightly.

The three of them along with Happy waited for a while in silence until Gray returned.

"I'm back, here are the tickets. Where's Erza? We're leaving in like five minutes" he said after taking a look around.

"Don't shout Gray, I'm here. So are we ready?" Erza said she joined them shortly after.

"Hey guys, I have an idea!" Natsu suddenly said. Everyone turned their heads towards him confused.

"You guys take the train and Happy is going to fly me to the town!" the pink haired mage said excited.

"What? There's no way that I can carry you for that long Natsu" Happy said shocked.

"Ow, come on Happy! You can make a try!" Natsu protested.

"What's this about?" Kakashi asked confused.

"Natsu can't handle transportation. He gets motion sick just at the thought" Lucy said with a sign.

"Deal with it Natsu! We have important business at that town!" Gray said sharply.

"Shut up ice cube! It's not my fault if I get dizzy!" Natsu snapped.

"Of course it's your fault! Do you see anyone else having this stupid problem flame brain?"

"You wanna fight droopy eyes?"

"Hah, bring it squinty eyes!"

"Stop it you too!" Erza said angrily. "Natsu why didn't you tell Wendy to cast Troia on you?" she asked.

"I forgot" Natsu said regretfully.

"Enough! Natsu, you have a big responsibility about this mission! To your teammates, to your guild and to your guild master. They all put their trust in you! You can't back down now without even trying, especially since we haven't even started yet!" Kakashi said seriously. Everyone looked at him surprised. Kakashi, who had been pretty laid back during the whole trip until that moment, seemed like a different person. Natsu looked at him seriously and his face took a determined expression.

"You're right! All right then, it's decided. I'm getting on the train!" he said decisively.

"Good! Now then, let's go before we miss the train, shall we?" Kakashi said lightly and got on the train with everyone looking at him with blank expressions.

"What's the deal with this guy?" Lucy said puzzled.

"Lucy, I'm scared!" Happy said with a whiny voice.

"Wow, this guy is worse than you Erza" Gray said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Erza said irritated.

"Nothing!" Gray quickly responded.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? Making me feel all guilty and then leaving casually just like that? Come back here!" Natsu yelled angrily and got on the train as well, chasing after the shinobi. The rest of the mages signed and followed him on the train. They all took their seats and after a while the train started moving. Natsu got instantly dizzy a few minutes after the train started to accelerate and fell face first on the table between their seats.

"Well, that was quick. The train hasn't even speed up yet" Kakashi said surprised.

"He does that. You'll get used to it" Gray said with a bored expression.

"Anyway, there's not much to do until we get to the town so…" Kakashi said as he reached his pocket.

"You're going to read this thing again?" Lucy said shocked as Kakashi started reading the Icha Icha again. Kakashi noticed that Erza who was sitting next to him was trying to look at the book.

"Do you want it?" he asked.

"What? No, no why would I? Don't let me interrupt you" Erza said quickly.

"Oh, don't worry about that. Don't you remember? I got another one, see?" Kakashi said as he took out the second copy.

"Go home already!" Lucy said loudly.

* * *

><p>The train soon reached its destination. The mages and the shinobi got out of the train, Natsu had to be carried out by Gray.<p>

"Okay, we're finally here. Let's take a look around the town, maybe ask for some information, get some provisions and we're off to the forest" Kakashi said. The town was really small. The shinobi and the mages asked around for information about the forest, the Black Wing guild and about the ninja that Kakashi was looking for. A few people mentioned that someone who fit the description of the ninja had been seen earlier in the town before he went into the forest. All of them spoke with fear about the dark guild and warned them that it would be dangerous to go into the forest. However, most of them were relieved when they learned that they were Fairy Tail mages. After they bought some provisions, the small group got out of the town and headed towards the eves of the large, thick forest.

"Okay now, I want all of you to be very careful because our road from now on is not going to be very easy" Kakashi said seriously to the Fairy Tail mages. "I need all of you to be on your guard."

"We know already! It's not the first time that we've fought with a dark guild you know" Gray said.

"He is right thought. Don't you remember what happened last time? We were totally caught off guard by Oracion Seis and we nearly lost" Erza said seriously. "We need to be more careful this time"

"You were caught off guard huh? Well, you don't have to worry about that with me around" Kakashi said as he pulled a kunai from his vest and slightly cut his finger. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" he yelled as he slammed his hand on the ground. A seal appeared on the ground where he slammed his hand, a small explosion was heard and the ground was covered in white smoke. When the smoke cleared a small, brown dog with a blue vest was standing on the ground. The mages gasped in surprise.

"A dog just appeared out of nowhere!" Lucy said shocked.

"Yo" the small dog greeted.

"The dog is talking! How's that possible?" Happy said in an overly dramatic, surprised tone.

"Hey, hey now you are the one to talk!" Lucy mumbled.

"What's going on Kakashi? Where are we? Who are these kids?" the small dog asked the ninja with a gruff voice a little annoyed.

"It's a long story Pakkun. In short, we are in a different world and these kids are mages" Kakashi explained.

"A different world? Mages?" Pakkun said confused.

"Kakashi-san, what did you just do?" Erza asked confused.

"I just did a summoning jutsu. Honestly, I wasn't sure if it was going to work since I'm in a different world but I'm glad it did. Pakkun here can help us find our way in this thick forest" Kakashi explained.

"Hey, this is cool!" Natsu said excitedly as he picked up Pakkun and brought him close to his face. "I've never seen a talking dog before."

"Put me down boy, before I bite your face!" Pakkun growled angrily.

"Put him down Natsu, this is not a simple dog! It's a ninken, a ninja dog. Pakkun is a first class tracker" Kakashi said seriously.

"Really? This is so cool! Oh yeah, sorry" Natsu said as he put the small dog on ground.

"Here Pakkun" Kakashi said as he took out a wrapped piece of cloth. "Can you find this guy?" he asked as he moved the piece the piece of cloth close to the ninken.

"What? You're still after this guy? This is why you came all the way here? Kakashi I'm afraid you're starting to get old" Pakkun said.

"Perhaps. Maybe we're both getting a little old. Anyway, have you tracked him?" Kakashi said.

"Maybe. I think I'm getting something. This way" Pakkun said as he went to the forest.

"Okay, everyone let's go" Kakashi said as he moved forward. The shinobi and the ninken dashed forward, leaping from tree to tree followed by the mages who started running.

"Hey, wait! Not so fast!" Lucy said as the mages were running behind them, trying to keep up.

"Hey, Kakashi, it seems like the kids are falling behind" Pakkun said after taking a look at the mages.

"Yeah, I guess they aren't used to moving like this. Let's get down" Kakashi said. The two of them jumped down on the ground while the mages finally caught up. "You guys are slow" the shinobi said.

"Hey, it's not our fault!" Natsu said angrily. "You just suddenly started to jump around from tree to tree!"

"Kakashi! I'm getting a bunch of different smells. And they are all heading this way!" Pakkun suddenly said.

"How many?" Kakashi asked alerted.

"I'm not sure. I'm getting a bunch of different smells. There must be like thirty or forty of them, and they are approaching fast" Pakkun said.

"This is bad" Kakashi said. "Maybe we should set up an ambush."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu said as he stepped up. "I don't know what you ninjas do or how things work in your world, but this is not how Fairy Tail does things!"

"That's right!" Gray added as moved forward next to Natsu. "If it's a fight they want then that's what we are going to give them!" Kakashi turned to Erza who nodded with a smile.

"This is how we do things. We are not running away!" she said, as she stood next to Natsu and Gray.

"Okay then, I'm not falling back either! Besides, I'm a Fairy Tail mage too" Lucy said decisively as stood next to her friends.

"Aye!" Happy said spirited, and moved with the rest of the mages.

Kakashi signed. "Well, it seems like things are going to get a little messy. Pakkun, you should better take cover" he said.

"Fine, but you guys better be carefull. Those other guys will be here any minute now" Pakkun said as he climbed a tree.

"I know" Kakashi said. "Everyone get ready!"

"Right!" the Fairy Tail mages said.

Soon, mages started appearing from the woods. It wasn't long before they all emerged, others running and others jumping from tree to tree, and stood before the Fairy Tail mages and the Konoha shinobi. They were all shady looking, others with evil grins and others with angry or threatening expressions.

"Well, well what have we here?" one of them from the front row, a mage with spiky, brown hair who seemed to be the leader, said with a chuckle. "Look who got lost in the woods."

"What are you guys doing here? Haven't they told you that it's dangerous around here?" another of the mages said, with a mocking voice.

"Oh, they've told us alright. That's why we're here!" Natsu said with a big grin, cracking his knuckles.

"Is that so?" the first guy talked again. "This forest is Black Wing's ground. You did a serious mistake coming over here" he growled angrily, with a threatening voice.

"Really? That's funny, I've never heard of a dark guild having a ground that belongs to them before" Gray said.

"Enough talk! You guys have one and only chance to surrender. Give up now before you regret it!" Erza said with a stern voice.

"What? There's like forty of us and you are only five people and you dare threatening us?" the leader of the thugs yelled, angrily. "That's it, you've lost your chance! Now you're going to regret coming here! Let's burn them boys!" he yelled, as he threw a large fire ball from his hand. A few of the other thugs threw fire attacks at the same time. The fire attacks joined all together, and crashed on the Fairy Tail mages with a loud noise. The thugs laughed. "He, heh that's it" the leader of the thugs chuckled, but suddenly he widened his eyes with surprise. The laughs were cut short, as everyone saw the flames being absorbed by Natsu.

"Man, these guys aren't just bad, they are stupid too!" Gray commented, crossing his arms.

"Heh, thanks for the meal. Although, I've had much better before" Natsu said, whipping his mouth.

"Hey, hey what is this guy? How did he do that?" one of the mages said, shocked.

"Look! Look at the mark on his arm!" another one of the thugs said, with fear. "These are… Fairy Tail mages!" The thugs gasped in surprise.

"Fairy Tail? And he ate our flames… This means that this guy is… Salamander?" the leader of the thugs said with fear and surprise. Natsu grinned.

"Hey now, they recognize Natsu but not me? Now I'm starting to get really pissed" Gray said, as the air around him started to freeze.

"Is this ice? Then this guy is Gray Fullbuster, the ice mage!" another one of the mages mumbled.

"There, are you happy now snow head?" Natsu asked, smiling.

"Yeah, this is a little better flame pants. This doesn't mean that I'm going to go easy on them thought" Gray responded, smiling too.

"You guys had your chance! It's too late for you run away now" Erza said angrily, summoning two swords to her hands.

"She just summoned weapons! There's no mistake. This is Erza the Titania!" another one of the thugs said. The thugs were now trembling in fear.

"Damn it guys, we are facing three of the strongest mages from Fairy Tail. How did we get into this mess? How did we not notice that before?" the thugs said to each other.

"Well, that's too bad for you guys!" Lucy said, with confidence.

"Hey, this is, this is…" another thug started, but he stopped with a confused expression on his face. "Eh, who is this one?" he asked with wonder.

"Huh? That's all you have to say about me? How rude!" Lucy said shocked.

"Come on guys let's go! Let's show them why they are afraid of Fairy Tail!" Natsu said, as he dashed forward.

"Aye sir!" Happy added, and followed.

"Stop acting like you are the leader" Gray said smiling as he rushed forward, followed by Erza and Lucy.

"Here they come!" One of the thugs said scared.

"Come on boys, they are just five of them. We can take them!" the leader of the thugs said. The thugs yelled encouraged and attacked as well.

"Karyu no tekken!" Natsu yelled as he surrounded his fist with bright flames and punched, sending several thugs flying away.

"Ice make Geyser!" Gray yelled as he put his hands together and slammed them on the ground creating large blocks of ice that moved forward, knocking out another bunch of the thugs. Erza dashed forward holding her swords moving around the thugs like a tornado slashing the around. Lucy pulled one of her golden keys from her belt.

"I open the golden gate of the bull, Taurus!" she yelled. A large white and black bull appeared with a big double-headed axe hanging on his back.

"Muuu!" the bull roared.

"Go Taurus! Get them and make sure they'll remember my name!" Lucy said.

"Don't worry good-bodied babe! I'll show them! Rampage!" Taurus yelled as he charged forward swinging around his big axe, knocking out every thug who stood in his way. Kakashi was watching the Fairy Tail mages fight.

"They are pretty good!" he thought smiling.

"Hey, who is this guy?" one of the thugs said pointing at the shinobi.

"I don't know but if he stays away that means that he is not very strong. Let's get him!" another one of the thugs said.

"You guys might not want to do that" Kakashi said calmly.

"That's what you think. Get him!" one of the two thugs said as they both attacked at the same time, throwing magical blasts from their hands. Their attacks hit where Kakashi was standing, creating a small explosion.

"He, heh one down. At least we got this one" the two thugs laughed.

"Where are you guys aiming?" a voice was heard from behind them.

The two thugs froze and turned around slowly. "When did he…" one of them said but didn't finish his sentence as the jonin dashed forward and knocked him down with a punch to his gut. The other guy could barely blink before he was also knocked down with a blow to his face. "Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped" the jonin said lightly as he turned to face the rest of the thugs.

"Hey, what is this guy? I've never seen anyone move like that before! Is he also from Fairy Tail?" one of them said trembling.

"No, I' m from Konoha" Kakashi said before knocking the rest of the thugs in a flash. "Although I got to admit, these Fairy Tail mages are really impressive!" he said as he stood up and looked Natsu and the others.

"Enough of this!" one of the remaining thugs yelled. "Get the cat!" Two of them ran forward against Happy.

"Oh no! You got me! Not!" Happy said as he flew up, causing the two thugs to bump with each other. "He, heh! You shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm a cat you know!" Happy said.

"Karyu no Yokugeki!" Natsu yelled as he attacked again surrounding his arms with fire blowing up more thugs.

"Ice make Lance!" Gray said as threw a number of long ice curved lances that flew through the thugs knocking the out.

"Requip!" Erza said as she was surrounded by light and changed her armor. "Flame Empress Armor!" she said as the light disappeared, making visible Erza's new armor. The armor was dark red, with some black parts and some orange parts, orange gauntlets and red dragon claw shaped grieves. Erza's long, red hair was tied into a pair of high, long pigtails.

"So this Requip magic huh?" Kakashi thought as he saw Erza's armor change. "Impressive!"

"Flame Slash!" Erza yelled as she dashed forward surrounding her new sword in flames.

"I'm not done damn it! I'm not falling back!" Lucy said as she pulled a long, black whip that she was carrying at her belt and attacked the remaining thugs.

One after the other, the thugs were all knocked out.

"Well, that was fun" Kakashi said.

"Yeah! We showed them! Now they'll definitely remember my name!" Lucy said proudly.

"Now that the battle is done I think I'll take off" the large bull said.

"Okay, thanks a lot Taurus!" Lucy said kindly as Taurus waved and disappeared.

"These guys were just small fry. I am sure that the other mages that master mentioned won't be that easy" Erza said seriously as she changed back into her regular armor.

"So what? We'll just beat them like we did with these guys" Natsu said decisively as he punched his fists.

"Well, it seems like things were a little messier than usual. You guys sure know how to make a ruckus!" Pakkun said as he jumped of the tree.

"Oh, there you are Pakkun" Kakashi said. "You're right, you guys sure like to go overboard, huh? I admit, I was a little worried at first but now I realize why you guys were so confident. You all did great, even you Happy" the jonin said to the young mages.

"Aye!" Happy said excited. They all laughed casually so they didn't notice the leader of the thugs who was stirring on the ground.

"Damn you Fairy Tail mages! You won't get off that easy!" he thought angrily as he reached his belt and pulled a knife. His eyes fell on Lucy who seemed to be a little further from the others. "I'll show you now!" he thought as he slightly got up and suddenly lashed forward. "You're mine bitch!" he yelled as he pointed his knife towards Lucy ready to strike. Lucy turned around surprised, unable to move since the thug was inches away. Her mind was empty at the moment, she could only hear the thug's laugh. Gray and Erza gasped in shock.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled in horror, his eyes wide open.

"Oh no, Lucy!" Happy said with tears in his eyes.

It all happened in a flash. Suddenly, a loud thump was heard. The thug's laugh was cut short and his eyes grew wide open in surprise. For a moment, nobody knew what happened. Lucy felt like she was pushed slightly back and then saw a large shadow in front of her. She lifted her head and saw Kakashi standing tall in front of her. His arm was up forward and it was driven in the thug's chest and neck, in lariat style.

"Kakashi, when did he get in front of me?" Lucy though surprised.

"This is no way to talk to a girl. And I don't take it kindly when someone threatens a member of my team, is that understood?" he said calmly but with a slow, burning anger building inside him.

"Yeah… sorry" the thug managed to say before he collapsed on the ground.

"Lucy! Are you okay?" Natsu said worried after hugging her tightly. Gray and Erza looked at the shinobi with surprise.

"When did he move? Did you see him?" Gray asked.

"Barely" Erza responded. "I can't believe we let our guard down like this! Lucy!" she yelled and ran towards the blond girl. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"It's all right guys, I'm fine! Don't worry!" Lucy said softly as Gray joined them.

"Lucy, I was so afraid! I'm so glad you're fine!" Happy sobbed as he flew towards her and fell on her chest.

"I'm fine guys, don't cry. I'm okay!" Lucy said deeply touched as she hugged everyone around her with tears in her eyes. They all turned their heads towards Kakashi who still had his back turned on them.

"I'm glad you're okay Lucy. This should better be a lesson to all of you. Never let your guard down in situations like this! At least, not until you make sure you're safe" he said with a strict but not harsh voice. The young mages lowered their heads. "However" Kakashi continued with a softer voice "you don't need to worry. As long as I'm around I'll protect you with my life, all of you! I promise you that" he finished as he turned around towards them and gave them a warm eye smile. The Fairy Tail mages looked at him with a different look than they have seen him up until that moment.

"He is not only much stronger than he looks, he is also more kind" Lucy though as she smiled warmly towards the shinobi. "Thank you, Kakashi-san!" she said kindly.

Natsu walked towards the jonin with a serious look on his face. "We're all grateful for what you did. But I want you to know that in Fairy Tail, we all look out for each other. We got your back too" he said as he lifted his hand.

"I know that. And I'm sure that I'm going to need it one of these days" Kakashi said as he shook Natsu's hand. "Let's keep going then" Kakashi said lightly and the Fairy Tail mages nodded along, smiling.

**Author's note: Well, there goes this chapter! I kinda think that Kakashi was a little bit of a troll at some parts of the story but, well he does that! I am not sure when I'm going to upload the next chapter, probably some time around summer, very possibly some time on June. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! See you next time!  
><strong>


	5. The Copy Ninja in action

**Author's note: Hey everyone! The new chapter is here! Sorry it took me so long to update, but I've been working on this chapter for a while now. Anyway, I hope you like it. And I just wanted to say a very big "Thank you" to everyone who has taken the time to read this story whether he has left a review, favored the story or he just read it. Thanks guys, it means a lot to me. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Enjoy! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
><strong>

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 5**

The sun was shining brightly over the thick forest. Kakashi took a look around him. "What a mess!" he thought as he saw the defeated mages from the dark guilt lying around all over the ground.

"Hey guys, are you ready?" he said as he turned towards the Fairy Tail mages. "We should better get a move on …" he continued but suddenly he stopped and turned his attention towards one of the tall trees.

"Kakashi, someone's there!" Pakkun said with a warning voice.

"I know" Kakashi said as he dashed towards the tree. A shadowy figure jumped at once Kakashi moved closer.

"Kakashi-san!" Lucy said surprised.

"Someone was on that tree" Erza said.

"Come on, let's follow him!" Natsu yelled and ran towards the shinobi, followed by the rest of the Fairy Tail mages.

"Follow me young mages, I will lead you" Pakkun said as he ran ahead of them.

Kakashi was leaping swiftly from tree to tree following the shadowy figure ahead of him. "There's no doubt" the shinobi thought as he increased his speed. "It's him!" The pursuit didn't last very long. Suddenly, the figure disappeared from Kakashi's eyes. Kakashi continued the chase confused until he saw a small valley ahead of him, where the trees weren't that thick. Kakashi made one last jump and landed on the ground. The valley wasn't very large, but it seemed pretty convenient for a battle. There seemed to be enough space to move around, even thought there were several trees around and a long river near them. Ahead of him there was a familiar figure with his back turned.

"So, we meet again Hatake Kakashi" the man said as he turned to face Kakashi.

"I finally found you" Kakashi said seriously as he stared the man who caused him to do perhaps the craziest trip in his life. The rouge shinobi looked exactly like Kakashi remembered him, the only difference being that this time he had a long katana sword at his side.

"Who would have thought that something like this was going to happen when I activated that seal! I nearly lost it when I realized what had happened. Actually, I still have some trouble believing it. But I suppose that, somehow, you knew what was going to happen, didn't you? After all, you had been in that cave before" the rouge shinobi said.

"I had an idea" Kakashi said simply.

"And yet, you activated it yourself. You came all the way over here, you travelled through two worlds, just to stop me. What a dedicated shinobi you are!" the ninja said sarcastically.

"It ends here. You're not getting away this time" Kakashi said.

"Kakashi-san!" The copy ninja turned his head as he heard some familiar voices behind him. The Fairy Tail mages, with Pakkun leading them, were approaching quickly.

"You guys" Kakashi said.

"Hey, who's that guy?" Natsu asked after they stopped running.

"It's him!" Pakkun said. "That's the guy that Kakashi is after!"

"Him?" Lucy wondered as they all took a closer look at the ninja.

"I see that these Fairy Tail mages have finally caught up. I was watching your battle earlier from the trees. Those kids are pretty strong. Even this blue cat is dangerous. I see now what those other mages were talking about" the ninja said.

"Those other mages? You mean Black Wing? What do you know about them?" Erza asked intensely. "Were you with them?"

"Perhaps" the rouge shinobi answered vaguely. "All you need to know is that these guys were pushovers compared to their stronger ones. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business with my friend over here" he continued as he took a slightly more offensive stance.

"Oh, you're not running this time?" Kakashi said as he took his battle stance as well.

"No way, I've been waiting for this for a while. Last time I was eager to activate the seal and increase my power and then fight you. But, since things turned out differently and now we are both here, I might as well fight you anyway. Perhaps I did absorb some of that chakra anyway. I feel stronger since the last time we met!" the ninja said with confidence.

"Don't forget that I activated the seal too. Perhaps I am also stronger" Kakashi said calmly.

"He, heh! We'll see" the ninja chuckled.

"Okay guys, stand back. I'll handle him myself, I don't want any of you to interfere" Kakashi said to the Fairy Tail mages.

"Alone? But, shouldn't we help him?" Lucy asked with worry.

"No, he's right. This is his battle" Gray said seriously. "He came all the way from his village for this reason. This is a mission that was trusted to him by his comrades. We should leave him fight this one on his own. Don't worry" he added as he saw Lucy's worried face. "I am sure he'll be fine" he said softly. Lucy nodded with a faint smile.

"Before we start" Kakashi said seriously "I would like to know your name"

"My name huh? Sure, it's Hun from the Hidden Rock village. Or at least, this is from where I used to be" the rouge shinobi said lightly with a grin.

"Hun the missing-nin from Iwagakure? I thought I remembered you from somewhere" Kakashi said thoughtfully.

"I suppose you're not the only one with some reputation" Hun said. "Although, I am not as big as the great Hatake Kakashi" he added with some sarcasm.

"Well, it seems that" Kakashi said as he moved his hand towards his headband "I will have to be more serious this time!" he continued as he pulled his headband up revealing his Sharingan.

"Now watch carefully young mages" Pakkun said. "You are about to see the copy ninja Sharingan Kakashi in action"

"Sharingan? What do you mean, does Kakashi have a special eye or something?" Gray asked confused.

"I guess you could say that. The Sharingan allows Kakashi to see through his opponents' taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu, predict their movements and sometimes it allows him to copy their techniques" Pakkun explained.

"Wow!" Gray exclaimed.

"Good, this should be interesting!" Natsu said with a grin.

"You're so easy going" Lucy sighed.

"Aye" Happy added with a deadpawn look.

The two shinobi stared each other for a while and they attacked simultaneously, both reaching for their pockets, pulling out a couple of shuriken and throwing them. The shuriken collided in mid-air and before they hit the ground, both of the shinobi dashed forward at great speed. They started exchanging quick hits, both of them blocking and dodging each other's attacks. Kakashi managed to get a few hits but his opponent kept attacking. Hun continued with a number of quick punches, followed by a sweep kick that Kakashi couldn't evade, but quickly counter attacked by kicking Hun in mid-air and regaining his balance by landing on his hands and standing before he hit the ground. Hun was pushed back by the force of the kick but quickly resumed his attack by jumping forward and attacking with a double spinning kick which Kakashi dodged. The two shinobi continued exchanging quick blows with each other for a while until Kakashi eventually got the better of his opponent, sending him flying with a hard kick to the stomach. The rouge ninja was able to throw another shuriken thought, which Kakashi barely dodged, before he clumsily landed on his feet, grunted while rubbing his stomach and fell on one knee.

"You are not half bad, Hatake Kakashi. As expected from the copy ninja" he panted. "I guess it's about time I get more serious" He continued as he slowly unsheathed his sword. "Here I go" he said as he attacked once again. Kakashi quickly pulled one of his kunai and took a defensive position. The rouge ninja and the white haired jonin continued their fight at an even faster pace with the mages watching in amazement.

"Wow" Natsu said impressed "Kakashi is really strong . I knew it that he held back when we fought at the guilt"

"Yeah, but the other guy is pretty tough too. This looks pretty evenly matched for the moment" Erza commented.

"Oh come on Erza, he can do it! Anyway I can't wait to challenge him again when we get but to the guilt!" Natsu said excited.

"It will probably end the same way" Happy said smiling.

"Shut up Happy!" Natsu said angrily.

"I don't see you guys worry that much" Pakkun mumbled after he sweatdropped.

The two shinobi continued their fight until their weapons clashed and both tried to overpower each other. Eventually, they were evenly matched again and they were both pushed back. Hun left his sword on the ground and quickly formed some hand seals.

"Doton, Dotchubaku!" he said as he slammed his hand on the ground and sent a small landslide towards Kakashi, which he dodged by jumping sideways and moving closer to the river.

"Doton, Doryuheki!" Hun said after he slammed his hand on the ground again and created a large, rock solid wall.

"This is a defensive technique" Kakashi thought "Why did he do that? What is he up to?"

Hun grinned. "Doton, Iwa no Yajirusi" he said after performing some seals and slamming his hand on the wall. A number of long, rock made arrows were shot from the wall at high speed.

"That's why" the copy ninja thought after waving some hand seals as well. "Katon, Gokakyu no Jutsu!" he said after firing a large fireball. The fire ball was large enough to burn away the arrows and Hun had to duck behind the wall to protect himself. The wall soon broke down from the collision, but the missing-nin was already ready for another attack.

"Doton, Dosekiryu!" he said as he slammed his hand on the ground. A large, rock made dragon was shaped from the ground and moved towards Kakashi.

"Suiton, Suiryudan no Jutsu!" Kakashi said as he quickly waved a large number of seals. The calm water of the river next to him suddenly became wild. A large, water made dragon appeared from the waves and flew towards the rouge ninja. The two dragons collided with a big crash, splashing water and throwing shattered rocks and dirt all over the place. The two ninja, as well as the mages, braced themselves in order to withstand the impact.

"What crazy techniques" Gray said as he held his arm in front of his face to cover it. Erza tried to cover herself too, while Lucy held Happy and Natsu stepped forward to cover both of them.

"Is this ninjutsu?" Erza wondered as she remembered Kakashi's explanation on the train, on their way there.

* * *

><p><em>FLASHBACK<em>

The train was moving smoothly on the tracks. Natsu was still dizzy and lying on the table between the seats, while Happy was making him some air to help him recover. Gray was loitering by the window lazily, looking at the view with a slightly bored face. Kakashi was casually reading his favorite book with Erza and Lucy looking at him. Lucy had a half annoyed, half embarrassed expression and Erza looked like she was intensely thinking about something.

"Kakashi-san, I need to ask you something" she suddenly broke the silence.

Kakashi looked up calmly. "What is it?" he asked.

"Earlier, when you fought with Natsu back at the guilt, you were somehow able to throw fire. How did you do that, if I may ask?" Erza asked seriously but politely at the same time. Gray turned his head with interest, while Happy's eyes grew with wonder and Lucy's expression changed as well. Natsu was still too dizzy to respond thought.

"Come to think of it, I was wondering about that too" Lucy said. "Do you also use some sort of magic in your world or was it some sort of fighting technique?" she asked.

"And those were some pretty strong flames since they were able to hold Natsu's breath attack!" Happy added impressed.

Kakashi looked at the mages for a while and then put his book down.

"I was wondering when you guys were going to ask me about this. Your guild master was wondering about this too. Well, I suppose there's no harm in telling you about it. In fact, I think it's only fair since you already told me about your magic. Plus, it could boost our teamwork if we get to know each other's style better. You see, in my world, ninja have three basic ways of fighting. Taijutsu which is hand to hand combat, genjutsu which is the use of illusions and ninjutsu which is the use of techniques like the one that you saw before. I am not going to go into details, but we learn how to control our chakra system in order to use genjutsu or ninjutsu. Actually, this is necessary for even the easiest and most basic techniques even for taijutsu. Of course, few ninja are able to use all of three of them at the same extend. Usually, they rely on one or two of them" Kakashi finished his explanation leaving the mages in thoughts. "Well, I hope that explains it for you" Kakashi continued lightly with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me" he finished as he picked up his book again.

"You are going to read this again?" Lucy said shocked.

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Hun were starring each other, thinking about their next move.<p>

"I see the rumors make you no injustice. You really are strong" Kakashi said.

"Well thank you. Those words really have a greater value coming from the copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi" Hun responded with a pleased grin.

"I don't get it thought. Why would a shinobi that skilled abandon his village? You could have been one of the best in the Hidden Rock village. Why did you leave?" Kakashi asked.

The rouge shinobi looked at him for a while with a slightly confused expression on his face and then started laughing loudly. The Fairy Tail mages looked at him stunned.

"Hey, why are you laughing?" Natsu yelled angrily clenching his fists. "He asked you why you left your village, your comrades and you are just laughing? What's so funny about that?"

The rouge shinobi stopped laughing but didn't lose his smile. "I don't expect you mages to understand. But you, Hatake Kakashi, you should know better than asking me this. You know very well how our world, how the shinobi world, works. All the five great ninja villages constantly fighting for power, for dominance over each other. Fight after fight, war after war. And we, the shinobi, are considered nothing more than weapons, tools of destruction, ready to be used and sacrificed for the good of the village. Konoha, Iwagakure, what's the difference. You've been in these wars too, you what I mean don't you? How much have you lost, how much have you sacrificed for you village eh, Hatake Kakashi?" the rouge shinobi started calmly but his voice kept becoming louder as he spoke. Kakashi said nothing but he kept looking firmly at his opponent. The Fairy Tail mages were listening shocked.

"I didn't think his world was such a hard place" Gray said.

"Kakashi-san" Lucy said with a deep voice. Pakkun just lowered his head and said nothing. Happy patted him on the back to cheer him up, but some tears were already visible on his eyes. Natsu and Erza were watching with hardened expressions.

"Well I had it" Hun continued. "So I just left my village. You know that this isn't something easy but I did it anyway. So now I just need to care about myself. I am nobody's tool anymore. It's a nice feeling this freedom. But this is something you will never know. Not that it really matters anymore now that we are both stuck here. Perhaps you could you this chance to get away too. Then perhaps you'll know what I am talking about" he ended up chuckling.

"I don't need I need to know that feeling. The feeling that I have right now knowing that I belong somewhere is much greater" Kakashi said calmly. Hun looked at him seriously.

"Now listen, I don't know how things are in your village but in Konoha shinobi aren't considered tools. We are friends, comrades. I admit that things are far from perfect, but this is no excuse to run away. We have each other and we go through our hardships together" A sunlight from the setting sun broke through the clouds and fell on Kakashi making him look like he was glowing. "We have the Will of Fire passed down from the elder to the younger ones, protecting our village and bonding us together. I see where this is coming but this is no excuse for everything you have done" Kakashi ended. The Fairy Tail mages smiled warmly at his words.

"Not only he is strong, he also has a strong will" Erza commented smiling.

"I see" Hun said slowly as he grinned again. "I should have expected you to have such strong bonds with your village. Why don't we finish this already?"

"Finally, something we can agree on" Kakashi said.

"Suiton, Suigandan!" Hun said as he waved some seals. A few torrents of water rose from the river, became drill like and dove towards Kakashi.

"He can use suiton jutsu too?" the white haired shinobi thought as he tried to evade the torrents of water, but one of them crushed very close to him, causing him to lose balance.

"Now's my chance!" the rouge shinobi thought as dashed forward wielding his sword. Kakashi managed to dodge at the last moment, but Hun managed to slightly get his arm making a clean deep cut. The Fairy Tail mages gasped.

"Kakashi-san!" Lucy yelled.

"Don't worry that's nothing! Kakashi won't lose from something like this Pakkun said with confidence, even thought he sounded a little worried.

Hun moved for another strike but Kakashi was able to block it with his kunai.

"I think I had just enough of this sword!" Kakashi said as he flowed some of his lightning release chakra to his kunai, making it glow with lighting. With one hard shot he shattered the missing-nin's sword to pieces. The rouge shinobi cursed as he leapt backwards, barely escaping a second hit from the kunai.

"Good shot!" Natsu cheered.

However, the rouge shinobi quickly formed another combination of hand seals. "Doton, Doryuso!" he said as he slammed his hand on the ground, creating a number of rock made spears from the ground that moved towards Kakashi. The copy ninja dodged most of them and shattered some of them with his kunai. Hun pulled one of his own kunai and charged towards Kakashi. The white haired shinobi evaded him and quickly moved behind him, putting his knife on his throat.

"It's over" Kakashi said.

Hun smiled widely. "Yeah, it's over for you!" he said as he turned into mud, making the kunai stuck to the mud and temporarily immobilizing Kakashi.

"A doton kage bunshin?" he managed to think before Hun suddenly came out of the ground in front of him and hit him with a hard kick, sending him towards the river. Once he reached the river one more of Hun's clones appeared. "Suiro no Jutsu!" he said as he locked Kakashi into a large, bubble like, water prison.

"This is like Juvia's water lock!" Gray said. The Fairy Tail mages watched anxiously as Hun made his way towards the trapped Kakashi.

"That's it, I'm going!" Natsu said and prepared to charge.

"Wait! Stand where you are kid, it's not over yet!" Pakkun said.

"What do you mean? Can't you see that he needs help?" Natsu said angrily.

"I know Kakashi way longer than you! It's not over yet! Just wait and see" Pakkun said. Natsu clenched his fists and turned towards the battle scene.

"Hey, Kakashi! You better not lose to this guy, you hear me?" he yelled.

Hun moved his head and laughed. "It's over Hatake Kakashi! You came all the way here for nothing! I win this one!" he yelled triumph tic. Kakashi didn't say anything, instead he just vanished from the prison with a puffing sound.

"What?" Hun yelled shocked. At the same time a kunai was thrown at a great speed and stabbed Hun's clone, causing him to revert back to mud. The rouge ninja turned around only to see Kakashi standing behind him at a close distance. "Kage bunshin? When did you…" he stammered.

"Man I hate this jutsu. It was a pain when Zabuza had caught me in that. My students helped to get out of that one that time. However, I am going to tell the same thing that I told him. The same jutsu won't work on me twice"

"Why you…" Hun grunted shaking with anger.

"Hey Natsu, as you see I'm fine. You don't need to make such a big fuss about it" Kakashi said lightly.

"Well how was I supposed to know that? You guys have me confused with your constant tricks!" the pink haired mage snapped.

"Hey Natsu, calm down now" Lucy tried to calm him.

"It's about time I finish this" the white haired jonin said as he quickly waved a number of hand seals. "Raiton, Rairyudan no Jutsu!" he said as sent a large, bluish lighting made dragon towards his opponent. The dragon moved swiftly and attacked with a loud crash, covering with dust, lightning and rocks the place where Hun was standing. When the dust cleared, he was gone. Instead there was a small crater where he was standing.

"Did he get him?" Lucy asked as the mages were watching.

"Hiding in the ground again, huh?" Kakashi thought as he waited for his opponent's move. Hun got from the ground again and charged towards Kakashi.

"Doton, Kengan no Jutsu!" he said after encasing his arm with rock and attacking, but Kakashi easily dodged. Hun grunted his teeth and attacked again, this time hitting Kakashi. "I got you now!" he thought smiling. Kakashi was sent flying to the air but he vanished, leaving a bunch of wooden logs in his place. "A substitution? Come on now!" Hun said angrily.

"He turned into wood now?" Gray said puzzled.

"I am not sure I understand what's going on anymore" Natsu said scratching his head.

"Maybe he really is a mage after all" Happy said shaking his head. Lucy and Erza looked confused as well and only Pakkun was smiling.

"There you go Kakashi. You got him now" he mumbled.

Hun was looking around angrily. "Where are you?" he yelled.

"Behind you" he heard a voice followed by a characteristic chirping noise. He turned quickly, only to see Kakashi charging at him at full speed, his right hand covered in lightning.

"Raikiri!" Kakashi yelled as he drove his hand towards the rouge ninja's chest. The rouge ninja was barely able to put his rock armored arm in front of him to protect himself. Kakashi hit his arm, piercing the rock armor and sending him crash against one of the nearby trees. Hun groaned as he fell on the ground, his arm heavily wounded.

"He did it!" Natsu cheered along with the rest of the Fairy Tail mages.

"Hah, I knew it! I knew you could handle this guy Kakashi" Pakkun said smiling.

Kakashi walked slowly towards his opponent. "It's over" he said.

The rouge shinobi panted and then grinned again. "Heh, I guess I lose this one. That was one crazy jutsu. But, it's not over yet. Mages from Fairy Tail" he continued with a louder voice "you guys better be ready. Your fight is not going to be an easy one. As for you" he turned to Kakashi "we'll meet again Hatake Kakashi" he said with a lower voice as he reached his pocket. "See you" he said as he pulled a small, glass, yellow orb and smashed it to the ground. There was a small explosion and a flash of light. The rouge ninja was covered with smoke and when the smoke cleared he was gone.

"What?" Kakashi said stunned. "He vanished? But how, he shouldn't be able to move that fast. I suppose it has something to do with that thing that he smashed". He sighed and covered his Sharingan. "I guess he escaped again"

"What happened? Where did he go?" Gray asked confused.

"I am not sure . Come on, let's go see what happened" Erza said. The Fairy Tail mages and the ninken ran towards Kakashi who had already pulled a scroll out of one of his pockets and he was writing something on it.

"Here Pakkun" he said to the ninken after he finished writing and sealed the scroll. "Take this. I've written down everything that has happened since I got here. In case Naruto or someone else somehow get here, they will probably summon you for an update. You can also fill them in" he finished as he tied the scroll to the ninken's back.

"Of course, but how did the guy escape?" Pakkun asked.

"That, I don't know" Kakashi sighed. "He took something out of his pocket, slammed it to the ground and he just vanished".

"It must have been a teleportation lacrima" Erza said thoughtfully. "I haven't seen one before but that must be it. I've heard that they are really rare and that they can be used only once. They are not very strong thought so they can't take you very far. He is probably still somewhere within the forest" she concluded.

"He is badly hurt, so I doubt if he is somewhere on his own" Lucy said rubbing her chin. "So I am pretty sure that he teleported somewhere close the guilt's building which is in the forest to get some treatment. It' s obvious that he has already met with them before and he is probably working with them" the blond mage ended.

"Nice thinking there Lucy" Natsu complimented with a bright smile and Lucy smiled back.

"I guess you are right" Kakashi said. "Pakkun did you get all that?" he asked the ninken.

"Of course I did Kakashi. Well, I guess I should be off then. Good luck to all of you and take care. I'll see you around" Pakkun said and vanished in a small cloud of white smoke.

"Eh? He just vanished!" Happy said shocked.

"He left just how I summoned him, why are you so surprised? Don't worry, he's fine" Kakashi said as he got up. Lucy then noticed his arm.

"Kakashi-san! You're bleeding!" she said worried.

"Ah this? Don't worry it's nothing, it's just a flesh wound" Kakashi tried to calm her.

"Don't be stupid! Here, let me take care of it for you" Lucy said as she took some bandages from her pack and tended to his wound.

"You worry too much. That's very kind of you. Thank you Lucy" Kakashi said giving her an eye smile. Lucy slightly blushed and smiled as she continued her treatment.

"There, all done!" she said happily after she finished.

"Thanks again. Anyway, it's getting dark. We should probably set a camp here and continue the next day" Kakashi said.

"You're right but, I don't think this is the right place for that" Gray said scratching his head and looking around the place. Everybody took a look around. The place was a mess from the battle, it looked like it was hit by a hurricane.

"You are probably right" Kakashi said. "We should probably find a better place". The shinobi then along with the mages moved deeper into the thick forest.

**Author's note: There goes this chapter! I think it had a little more action than the previous ones. I hope you didn't get lost with all the jutsu! I am having some ideas for another Fairy Tail story, perhaps a shorter one compared to this, but I will definitely move on with this one! Anyway, until the next time take care! **


	6. The guild in the woods

**Author's note: Hey everyone! Perhaps it took me a while, sorry for that, but the newest chapter is here. I hope you like it! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
><strong>

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 6**

The shinobi and the mages made their way deeper in the forest, moving away from the small valley where Kakashi fought. The sun had nearly set, so the shinobi and the mages started looking for a good spot where they could set up a camp, rest, and spent the night. It didn't take them long, they soon found a good spot and decided to stop there.

"This looks like a good place" Kakashi commented.

"Finally, I'm exhausted!" Lucy said as she sat on the ground.

"Aye" Happy agreed tiredly as he laid on the ground as well.

"I agree, it's been a pretty rough day" Erza said.

"Yeah, and it looks like tomorrow is going to be just as hard, if not harder" Gray agreed.

"Hey, what's the long faces everyone? It's no big deal, we'll just find all those guys tomorrow and kick their asses!" Natsu said energetically, with a grin, as he punched his hand.

"Natsu sometimes I'm still surprised by how simple minded you can be" Happy said.

"Yeah, where do you find all this energy?" Lucy said.

"That's a good spirit, though. It's important to be prepared, but it's also important to have confidence and a positive attitude like this" Kakashi said in an approving manner. "Okay now, you guys set up the camp, while I'm going to have a look around and set up some traps, just in case. We'll be able to rest more safely, and sleep better this way" the shinobi said.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, deeper inside the forest was a tall, castle like building with gray walls and towers on the side. It was the building of the dark guild, Black Wing. The building, although relatively big, seemed nearly empty at that moment. Inside the great hall were several tables, but with very few people sitting on them. The only source of lighting seemed to be some torches on the walls that weren't full lit, still the guild wasn't as dark as someone would expect to be with this light. Further inside the room, near the stairs that led to the upper floor, some noticeable figures were sitting on one of the tables.<p>

"It looks like they haven't come back yet. They are late" a young man with blond, spiky hair, who was wearing a crimson vest with a black pattern, a black sleeveless shirt, and black trousers, said.

"What did you expect? It's not that surprising, especially if they ran into the Fairy Tail mages" a young girl with red, shoulder length hair, said. She was dressed in a red, light shirt that showed part of her cleavage and let her shoulders bare, and black, short tights that showed, her well toned legs.

"I guess that would be too much for them to handle" the blond mage said.

"Magic is a great, rare, and powerful gift that few people can actually use! Our fellow guild members stood no chance with such unrefined skills" a dark haired mage with a trimmed mustache, dressed in a neat, black tuxedo, wearing a black top hat, and holding a wooden, black rod with an orb on top, said.

"I can't wait for our turn! Sending those guys there was a waste of time. We should have gone there in the first place" the red haired girl said, eagerly.

"Hey now, you don't have to be that hasty! Why don't you learn to be a little more bit more patient. Like this guy" the blond mage said, as he pointed with his thump at another mage, who was leaning on the wall near them with his arms crossed. He was tall and muscular, with thick eyebrows and a shiny, bald head and he was dressed in a green vest, white trousers, and he had heavy, golden bracelets on his wrists.

"You guys are too loud" the bald mage said.

"Oh, really? What, are we interrupting your sleeping time? Finally, I am going to fight with Erza Scarlet and prove who the better mage is!" the red haired girl said, excited.

"Well, don't you look excited. Perhaps, a little bit too excited. What's the deal with you anyway, do you like her or something?" the blond mage said boringly.

"What? What are you talking about you idiot? I just want to prove that I'm stronger than one of the strongest female mages in the country! Besides, you are excited about fighting with Natsu too, aren't you Kenji?" the red haired girl responded, slightly flustered.

"Perhaps. But, I'm certainly calmer than you, Honoko. What about you, Jinrei? Do you have anyone in mind?" the blond mage, asked.

"You already know the answer to this. Besides, I'm not excited as you guys are about this whole fighting thing" the bald mage responded.

"I will have to agree with our silent friend over here. There's no reason to get too excited about fighting. Magic is more than just about brawling. And that's why it doesn't really matter who my opponent is" the dark haired mage, commented.

"You're full of yourself as usual, aren't you Arkana?" the red haired girl, said disapprovingly, with a frown.

"Knowing my capabilities doesn't mean that I am full of myself, my hot headed friend. I haven't met many mages that could actually give me a challenge, anyway. And I have traveled more than you have" the dark haired mage, responded simply.

"There you go with your stories again, Arkana" Kenji shook his head. While the mages were talking, the doors opened and someone walked in, and made his way towards them.

"Someone's coming. I think it's the shinobi that appeared earlier." Jinrei said.

"Yeah, you're probably right" Kenji agreed, as he turned around to take a better look. "Hey, you don't look very well over there, Hun" he said, as the newcomer came closer to them. His right hand seemed to be seriously wounded, and it was roughly covered in bandages. He didn't seem very worried or upset, though.

"It was a close fight, but he got the upper hand in the end. That was Hatake Kakashi after all, and he was actually better than I though" the rouge shinobi said.

"You seem pretty relaxed, even though you barely managed to escape" Jinrei said, calmly.

"Heh, it's fine. I'll get him next time. By the way, thanks for that lacrima thing, it was really helpful" the rouge ninja said, with a grin.

"Yeah sure, no problem. It's not like these things are rare or something" Kenji mumbled, sarcastically.

"Anyway, this Kakashi looks pretty strong. Maybe it would be interesting to fight him. But, for the moment, I got someone else on my mind" the blond mage continued.

"It looks like you are as spirited as ever Kenji, like the rest of you. That's a good thing" a heavy voice was heard, from up the stairs.

"Master Sid" Jinrei said, as everyone turned around, and saw someone making his way down the stairs, towards them. It was a tall, middle aged mage, with gray hair, dressed in black, with a long, black cloak. He was holding a stuff and his features were barely visible since he was covered by his cloak's heavy hood, except for his glowing, yellow eyes.

"Fairy Tail is indeed a powerful guild. But against us, they stand no chance. And after their defeat, everyone will know what Black Wing is capable of. They will know the power of Black Wing's strongest team, the Black Crows" the old mage, said.

"He, heh, this is gonna be interesting!" Kenji commented, grinning.

"Let's find out who the strongest is!" Honoko said, with glowing eyes.

"Perhaps this time, I can finally meet a challenge" Arkana mumbled smiling, while rubbing the orb on his rod.

"A good fight once in a while, isn't that bad" Jinrei added, with a smirk as well. The old mage smiled under his hood, and then turned towards the rouge shinobi, who was still standing.

"I watched your battle, shinobi, and it looks like you are really as strong as you claimed you were. I was impressed! Now, let's treat that arm of yours, and get you ready for your rematch. I have an idea that you might find useful, and will give you an edge over your skilled opponent, next time" he said.

"Sounds interesting" Hun said.

"Now, the rest of you better get ready. I suggest you have a good rest" Master Sid said, as he turned around and walked towards the upper floor, followed by the rouge ninja.

* * *

><p>The night had fallen over the forest and the Fairy Tail mages had already set up a camp and lit a campfire.<p>

"Where is this guy? It's night already. Don't tell me he got lost again!" Lucy said.

"Don't worry, I'm back" Kakashi said simply as he walked from behind the trees.

"Waah! Hey, don't sneak up on us like that!" Happy whined.

"So, are you done placing your traps?" Natsu asked with a bored face.

"Yeah, that should do it. We are a little safer now, these traps should, at least, give us some warning in case something happens. Anyway, we should probably get some rest, tomorrow is gonna be a long day" Kakashi said. The shinobi and the mages lied down on their sleeping bags which were already laid around the warm fire. Natsu and Happy quickly fell asleep after saying goodnight to the rest of the group, Natsu started snoring and Happy curled next to Lucy and started purring. Gray lied down on his back and watched the starry sky for a while before he fell asleep, Erza lied down on her side and quietly fell asleep and Lucy sat up and watched casually the campfire.

"Hey Kakashi-san, how are things at your village? I mean, how are things in the daily life and stuff like that" Lucy asked.

"Well, Konoha is smaller than this city so things are usually quieter. When it comes down to regular people it's not that different, they just live their ordinary lives, doing their daily chores, hanging out with each other and stuff like that, pretty much like the people in this city. But when it comes to shinobi, it's a little different. Of course there are simple missions for younger shinobi, missions that are for genin usually involve stuff like going to the grocery store and finding cats, but for the higher ranked shinobi there are some really dangerous missions. Missions that that could even risk your life and usually have something to do with the security of the village" Kakashi explained as he was lying with his arms behind his head.

"I see. And is it true that the ninja villages keep fighting with each other? Or that shinobi are actually used as tools in these fights?" Lucy asked seriously.

"Yes, this is how things usually are" Kakashi said.

"This is horrible! Why do you keep fighting with each other? Can you just try and get along? And using people as weapons and tools… How can you people possibly think that way?!" Lucy said upset. Kakashi slowly turned around and looked at her seriously.

"The villages always struggled for power and control. The stronger a village is, the better are the missions it receives and the so is the payment. And the stronger the shinobi are, the stronger the village is. And for a shinobi the village comes first" he said.

"This is why that ninja left his village, isn't it? How can someone live like this?" Lucy said angrily.

"You're right. This is no way for someone to live. That's why things aren't that bad in Konoha. Perhaps things are a little different in the other villages, but in Konoha we aren't that hard. We care for each other. Of course we are ready to give our lives for our village, not because we have to, but because we want to. To protect our village, to protect our comrades and our friends" Kakashi said seriously as he sat up on the ground.

"That's really nice. But in Fairy Tail we don't die for our friends, we live for our friends!" Lucy said decisively. "We laugh together, we cry together, we live together, we have fun together! I cannot even imagine someone not being there, someone missing" the blond girl said, shaking a little. Kakashi shook his head slowly.

"I understand how you feel, but things aren't that simple. You're young and naïve. When there is conflict between the villages, there will be casualties" Kakashi said in a slightly cold tone.

"But you kept fighting for the wrong causes! Wealth and power, is that what you only care about?" Lucy protested.

"Well, things aren't that bad now. At least, not anymore. The relations between the villages are much better than what they used to be. Sadly, things don't look that great, there's another danger outside the villages. A powerful group of rogue shinobi called Akatsuki. But at least, as I said earlier, there are no more conflicts between the villages" Kakashi said thoughtfully.

"That's good! Still, I'm a little confused. You do have people that you care about, don't you?" Lucy said.

"Of course I do. I care about my village, I have people that I consider close friends and I got my students. Perhaps the truth is, that I've also lost a lot of people close to me. There was a time where I thought that I may have lost everyone important to me. But, it was my friends and my students mostly that helped me move on. I think that as long as I still have people who are important to me, I can carry on" Kakashi said.

"I see. I'm sorry Kakashi-san. Perhaps, I can understand how you feel. I've lost someone really important to me. Someone who was very dear" Lucy said sadly.

"Really? I'm sorry, Lucy. If I may ask, who it was?" Kakashi asked a little hesitantly.

"My mother. And my father isn't that great, or that's what I thought, I'm not sure anymore. You see, all of us in Fairy Tail have some sort of pain, we have lost someone or have been through something hard in our lives. Mirajane has called it Fairy pain. But it's fine, because we are not alone anymore. I don't feel alone anymore, because Fairy Tail is my family, Fairy Tail is my home! And that's how everyone feels. No one deals with his pain alone anymore, no one feels alone in Fairy Tail anymore, because everyone is welcomed, everyone is accepted for who he is and everyone feels right at home!" Lucy said with a warm smile as she pet Happy who was lying next to her and looked at her sleeping friends with a kind expression and love in her pretty eyes. Kakashi looked at her stunned for the first time. Her words shook him like someone had thrown cold water on him and he was surprised by how kind and pure hearted that young girl in front of him was. Fairy Tail is their family, their home where everyone is accepted. A very particular person came to his mind. It was true that things were kinda better in Konoha compared to the other villages, things weren't so hard and people, including the shinobi, were generally friendlier but, the village did have its darker side. The white haired shinobi remembered vividly the image of a young, blond boy crying all alone while the villagers around him ignored him, shun him or were even aggressive to him and called him a monster.

"The bonds that these guys share are strong, maybe even stronger than ours. Naruto would never be treated like that here! They would accept him as he was, he wouldn't feel alone, he wouldn't have to struggle for their attention. Besides, it wasn't Naruto's fault for being a jinjuriki in the first place, actually it was him who lost more than everyone else because of that. But then again, I guess these guys wouldn't seal someone like the Kyubi inside him anyway." Kakashi remembered when he arrived at the guild earlier that day. He remembered how cheerful everyone was, he remembered the warm feeling that he got just by being there. But Naruto had to struggle in order to get recognized. That's why he grew stronger. No, it wasn't only for that. He also wanted to get stronger in order to protect the people around him, the people that grew to be important for him. The white haired shinobi brought to his mind his fight with Natsu and their fight with the mages when they entered the forest. He remembered how strong the Fairy Tail mages were and if Naruto was there, he would still grow strong, perhaps even stronger than he already was since he would already had people that cared for him in the first place.

"I'm sorry for calling you naïve Lucy. I see now where your feelings are coming from" Kakashi said honestly.

"It's all right Kakashi-san. Maybe we both understand each other a little better now. Well, goodnight then! I'll see you tomorrow" Lucy said with a lighter tone as she lied down and slowly went to sleep.

"Good night Lucy" Kakashi said with an eye smile as he lied down again and slowly started to fell asleep, still thinking about their discussion. The white haired shinobi listened to the sound of the leaves in the night air and smelled the fresh forest breeze as he slowly fell into a deep slumber.

Kakashi was standing at the training ground in Konoha and he was getting his team ready for training by giving some last instructions.

"Okay guys, are you ready? The purpose of this test is to improve your teamwork. All you have to do is take these bells" Kakashi said as he pointed a couple of small, silver coloured bells.

"He, heh, this is too easy! Okay then, I'll grab these bells for the second time" Naruto said excited.

"Good! I'm getting fired up" Natsu said with a wide grin punching his fist.

"Hmph! You people and your excitement" Sasuke said with a grumpy face.

"Do you always have to be so bored? What's the matter with you?" Gray said irritated.

"You can do this guys!" Sakura cheered.

"Do your best!" Lucy cheered as well.

"Stay focused and you can do it" Erza encouraged them.

"Aye! Go Natsu!" Happy cheered excited.

"Well, don't we all look well all dressed up on this beautiful morning at the training ground" Sai said with a smile. The others turned around and staired at him in silence. "What?" Sai asked.

"Okay, are you guys ready? Go!" Kakashi gave the signal.

"Okay then here we go" Naruto said as he made a hand seal. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu! Rasengan!" he yelled as he created a blue sphere on his hand with one of his shadow clones and attacked.

"Karyu no tekken!" Natsu yelled as he surrounded his fist in flames and attacked.

"Wait you idiots! Don't just attack like this!" Gray shouted but it was already too late. Natsu and Naruto attacked at the same time and clashed together, creating a small explosion and covering the spot in dust.

"Did we get him?" Natsu said looking around.

"No, but you got me you idiot!" Naruto yelled angrily.

"Hey, it's not my fault! You got in the way!" Natsu shot back.

"You attacked at the same time!" Naruto yelled.

"You wanna go? Come on then" Natsu said as the two of them started brawling.

"What idiots!" Lucy mumbled and Happy nodded in agreement. Erza shook her head in disapproval, Sakura sweatdropped and Sai kept smiling.

"Hey guys! You know, I'm over here. Hey guys! Never mind" Kakashi said as he had easily dodged their rushed, clumsy attack, but the two hot headed youngsters just ignored him and continued brawling. Gray face palmed.

"It looks like it's up us now" he said as he took his fighting stance.

"I'm so excited" Sasuke said with his poker face. Gray grunted furiously.

"Fine then, I'll do it alone! Ice make lance!" he yelled as he attacked with a number of long, ice spears. Kakashi however, easily evaded this attack as well.

"Huh, amateur! Leave this to me" Sasuke said as he pulled his sword and attacked. Kakashi pulled a kunai to block his attack and he was able to knock the sword of his hand. Sasuke however, was able to land some good blows and kicked him to the air.

"Shinsi Rendan!" he said as he kicked him in the air and sent him crashing down on the ground. "Heh, I did it" Sasuke said smugly as he landed on the ground. However, as Kakashi crashed crashed on the ground he vanished in white smoke, leaving only some wooden logs in his place.

"Way to go moron!" Gray said.

"Damn it! Why do I keep confusing people with logs?" Sasuke said angrily. At that moment a hand came of the ground and grabbed his leg. "Ow, not again" Sasuke managed to say before he was pulled to the ground, leaving only his head up.

"I can't believe you fell for that again" Kakashi said surprised.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said dramatically as she fainted.

"Hey, are you okay there?" Erza asked slightly worried.

"Don't worry, she does that" Sai said simply.

"Man, talk about a heart of steel" Lucy said.

"At least she doesn't dress inappropriately like you" Sai said smiling.

"Aye, you do dress funny sometimes Lucy" Happy teased.

"I don't want to hear that from you" Lucy said as she eyed Sai's outfit. "And I didn't expect anything more from you Happy" she continued annoyed.

"Okay then, it really is up to me now" Gray said. But before he could attack again, one of Naruto's shadow clones came flying towards him and knocked him down. "What are you doing you idiots? Is that how you want to play it?" he yelled angrily as he pushed the dizzy shadow clone of him, who vanished in white smoke, got up and joined Natsu and Naruto who were still fighting.

"Well, there goes the bell test" Kakashi said as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I finally found you, Kakashi my eternal rival!"Guy said who suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Guy, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked confused.

"I'm here for another rematch! This time I will get ahead in our score" Guy said.

"Kakashi! Wake up!" Suddenly Kakashi heard a voice.

"Waah!" he exclaimed as he suddenly woke up. He looked around and saw the Fairy Tail mages already awake, starring at him.

"Finally, you're up" Natsu said.

"I can't believe I overslept! What a crazy dream!" Kakashi said as he rubbed his head.

"Well, you're up now. Come on, we are making breakfast" Lucy said.

"I think I'll go and take off the traps first. It might help me wake up. I won't take long, as long as I remember where I put them" Kakashi said as he got up.

"Are you sure you don't need any help with that?" Gray said with a deadpan face.

"No, it's fine. I got it" Kakashi said reassuringly. A few minutes later, the white haired shinobi came back and saw the Fairy Tail mages already having their breakfast.

"Here, you want some coffee?" Lucy said as Kakashi sat next to them.

"Yeah, thanks" he said as he took the hot cup. He moved on to take a sip from the fragrant beverage but he then noticed everyone staring at him. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Are you gonna drink this with your mask on?" Gray asked. Kakashi sweatdropped.

"Everyone, stop staring and eat your breakfast. It's not nice to stare" Erza said.

"You were staring too" Lucy mumbled. As the small group finished its breakfast, they got up and started their way to in the forest.

"Man, that was a nice breakfast! Okay, now I'm all fired up!" Natsu said confidently.

"Yeah, but which way are we going?" Gray asked. The small group stopped.

"Come to think of it, we are not really sure which way the dark guild is" Erza commented.

"Happy, can you fly over the trees and see which way to go? Try to look for the building of the guild" Kakashi said.

"Aye sir!" Happy said as he flew up high above the trees. A few minutes later he came back. "I found it! I found the building. It's about a mile from where we are standing towards the west. I couldn't find any clear paths though, the trees were too thick" the blue Exceed said.

"Don't worry about it! Good job Happy" Natsu said smiling.

"Yeah, well done Happy! It looks like you can do more than just be annoying" Lucy said with an innocent smile.

"What?! Lucy told on me!" Happy said shocked.

"You don't have to be that surprised about it. It's not like it's the first time" Lucy mumbled.

"Anyway, you did well Happy. Okay guys let's move" Kakashi said as they made their way towards the direction that Happy pointed. The small group continued its way, however the path that they were walking on soon spread to other, smaller paths.

"That's troublesome. It looks like we'll have to split" Gray noticed.

"So it seems. I don't really like the idea of splitting though" Kakashi commented.

"Neither do I. Natsu, can your sense of smell point us somewhere?" Erza asked.

"I don't think so. The forest is full of all kinds of scents, I don't get anything in particular" Natsu said as he looked around.

"Then it can't be helped. There seem to be about two paths that go towards the direction that we are going. Okay, Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Kakashi can be one group and I'll go with Gray. How does this sound?" Erza suggested.

"Sounds good to me" Natsu said. Kakashi sighed.

"Fine then. I want the two of you to be careful" the white haired shinobi said seriously.

"Don't worry about that" Gray said with a grin.

"We're all gonna be fine and we'll go together. That's because we are Fairy Tail!" Natsu said grinning as well. The rest of the mages nodded along. Kakashi looked at their smiling faces.

"What guys!" he though admiring their bond as well as their spirit. "Let's go then and finish this mission" the white haired shinobi said confidently. Kakashi along with Natsu, Lucy and Happy moved towards the one path while Gray and Erza made their way towards the other.

**Author's note: Well, there goes this chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I think that this chapter kinda goes from being serious to being funny, it is kinda balanced in this kind of way. Anyway, I'll try for a quick update. See you next time guys!**


	7. The Black Crows

**Author's note: Hey guys, the new chapter is here! Enjoy and let me know what you think. I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
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**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 7**

Kakashi, Natsu, Lucy and Happy made their way along the path through the thick forest.

"Man, this is one big forest" Natsu said with a bored expression, having his arms behind his head.

"Don't lose your focus now. Stay sharp, we might be attacked at any minute now. This is the forest where they have their base, they surely know it way better than we do" Kakashi said.

"You seem pretty relaxed to me too. By the way, is it just me or is the forest getting thicker?" Lucy said looking around. Suddenly, the trees started to grow bigger, their branches started to expand, to grow bigger and thicker and blocked their way.

"What's this? What's going on?" Lucy said slightly panicked.

"The trees are moving! We're trapped" Happy said worried.

"That's something new. I should expect them to have traps like this in the forest. Everyone, stay together" Kakashi instructed.

"Don't worry guys! I'll open a way for us" Natsu said decisively pumping his fists.

"Wait Natsu! I don't think going around and setting the trees on fire in a forest is a very good idea" Lucy warned.

"Yeah, you're probably right" Natsu agreed. The trees soon stopped moving, blocking the path completely from both sides.

"Calm down, the trees finally stopped moving. Now let's see how we get out of here" Kakashi said.

"Look, there's something over there" Happy pointed at a large rock on the side of the path. Some strange, plowing, purple markings had appeared on it. The shinobi and the mages moved closer to get a better look.

"As I thought. Rune magic" Lucy mumbled.

"Rune magic? What kind of magic is this?" Kakashi asked.

"It's a powerful kind of magic, very hard to learn. I'm not sure how to explain it, but the mage who uses rune magic can basically use the runes to set his own rules in a way. For example, in this case the runes basically say that whoever comes this way the trees will block his path and trap him here. That's why our path is obstructed" Lucy explained.

"That kinda reminds me of sealing jutsu. I have some experience in this, but I don't think it can actually help in this case. This is still magic" Kakashi said scratching the back of his head.

"Then we have a problem. Because none of us actually uses rune magic" Natsu said crossing his arms.

"Not exactly. Perhaps there is a way" Lucy said thoughtfully.

"There is?" Natsu said surprised.

"What do you mean Lucy?" Happy asked as Natsu and he looked at her curiously.

"You know rune magic?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, Levy-chan showed me a couple of things the other day. She even gave me a book about it. These runes don't look very hard, perhaps I can rewrite them or something. Let me see" Lucy said as she opened her back pack and took out a big, purple book.

"Really? That's great Lucy, you're the best!" Natsu said enthusiastically.

"Aye, you're the best Lucy!" Happy agreed with the same enthusiasm.

"Thanks guys, but don't get too excited so soon. I'm not totally sure if I can do this. Just give me a moment to concentrate" Lucy said as she opened the book and put on a pair of red glasses. The others remained silent, Natsu and Happy's faces were full of tension and they kept their fists closed tightly while Kakashi seemed much calmer, as Lucy was reading the book with her magical glasses intensely and occasionally she lifted her head, took a look at her runes and took some notes on a notebook while mumbling to herself and scratching her head. After a while she cried out happily.

"I did it! I think I did it!" she yelled happily, moving her notebook around, her hair being all messy but her pretty face beaming with happiness.

"Really? You did it?" Natsu asked excited.

"Yeah, I think so. Now let me rewrite these runes. I think I got it" she said excited as she wrote over the runes with a magical pen. The trees wiggled around and started to move again, the branches grew smaller and the path was cleared.

"Woohoo! Way to go Lucy! You did it!" Natsu yelled happily as he hugged Lucy tightly. Happy cheered as well.

"Good job Lucy. Well done" Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"Thanks" Lucy stammered blushing furiously as Natsu was still holding her tightly. "Hey Natsu, that's enough" she mumbled.

"Oops! Sorry Lucy. But that was really great" Natsu said with a big grin.

"Thanks Natsu. Well, one thing is for sure, when we get back to the guild I'm gonna give Levy-chan one big hug!" Lucy said as she grabbed Happy and hugged him tightly.

"Lucy, you're squeezing me" Happy managed to whisper from Lucy's tight grip.

"Levy-chan, Levy-chan, that reminds me something. Oh yeah, I think I remember. It's that cute, little blue haired girl, right?" Kakashi said.

"Yes so?" Lucy said suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing, just saying. Anyway, let's continue. And more carefully this time" Kakashi said. The small group continued its way through the forest until they reached another obstacle. The path in front of them seemed to spread into different ways once again.

"It looks like we'll have to split again" Lucy noticed.

"Not again" Natsu groaned.

"I guess, even though I really don't like the idea. This place is like a maze though. At least we still have an idea which way to go. Okay then, I'll go this way, you guys take the other path. And, be careful. Try not to lose each other" Kakashi said a little worried.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. We've already said it, we'll meet again after we're done with this mission and we'll all go home together" Natsu said smiling.

"Let's all make sure of that" Kakashi said as he offered his hand and Natsu shook it. The shinobi then continued his way on the one path, while the mages took another path that led towards a small hill.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Gray and Erza made their way on a different side of the forest.<p>

"We've walking for a while now and we still haven't seen anyone" Gray said.

"Perhaps, but don't let your guard down Gray" Erza said.

"I know. I'm just saying, it's a little strange" Gray said.

"I see" Erza said as she stopped walking. Gray stopped as well looked at her curiously.

"What happened? Why do we stop?" he asked.

"I'm just thinking. Maybe we should have a plan" Erza said thoughtfully as she crossed her arms.

"Hm, I don't know, perhaps. Do you have something in mind?" Gray said as scratched the back of his head. But before Erza could answer, a small explosion was heard and a heap of rocks started falling towards them from a nearby hill. "Look out!" Gray yelled as he leapt forward and pushed Erza out of harm's way. The rocks crumbled down, causing a heavy cloud of dust to fall all over the place, but after a while it settled down. Gray moved around his head and cleared the dust and some small rocks from his hair. He then felt something soft and warm underneath him and opened his eyes, only to find himself lying on top of a surprised Erza. Her beautiful eyes were wide open and she was breathing a little heavy.

"Umm… Are you okay?" he stammered, blushing furiously.

"Yeah, I guess I was careless… Thanks Gray" Erza said with a slight blush.

"Sure, don't mention it" Gray said with a small smile while looking the other way.

"Umm, Gray" Erza started.

"Yeah, what is it?" Gray said.

"You can get off me now" Erza said simply.

"What? Oh yeah, right! Umm, sorry about that. Just try to be a little more careful next time" Gray said still blushing as he got up and offered his hand to help Erza get on her feet.

"Don't worry, I will be. Come on, let's move on" Erza said. The two mages took one last look at the hill where the rocks fell and continued their way.

* * *

><p>Natsu, Lucy and Happy made their way on slightly rocky path on a small hill. Suddenly, Natsu put his arm in front of Lucy and stopped walking.<p>

"What is it Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Someone's there" Natsu said as he turned his head slightly towards some trees.

"Someone, at the trees?" Lucy said. Natsu nodded as a small laughter and a sound of clapping hands was heard from the direction that Natsu pointed.

"Well done. Very perceptive" a voice was heard as suddenly a shadow jumped from one of the trees and landed in front of them. It was a young mage with spiky, blond hair dressed in a black shirt, a crimson vest and black trousers. He looked at them grinning.

"How did you know that I was there? Did you sniff me out?" he asked.

"You are Black Wing, aren't you?" Natsu said seriously.

"You're smarter than I thought. Yes, I am Kenji, one of Black Wing's Black Crows. I've been waiting to meet you for a while now, Natsu Dragneel" the blond mage said.

"Black Crows? I see, this must be how their strongest mages call themselves" Lucy said.

"He looks tough" Happy said.

"You wanted to meet me? And why is that?" Natsu asked.

"Well, you are not exactly a low profile guy, you know. You're Salamander, Fairy Tail's fire Dragon Slayer, one of the guild's strongest mages, the mage who goes overboard and wrecks havoc on his missions, the mage who's even rumored to have defeated the master of Oracion Seis, master Zero, single handedly, all by himself. You are an interesting guy to say the least" Kenji said.

"I see you are well informed" Natsu commented.

"Hey, hey, do you know anything about me?" Happy asked eagerly.

"Do you really care about that?" Lucy asked shocked.

"Oh yeah, I heard that you had a talking cat with you. What do you know, it looks like it's true. I thought it was brown or something though" Kenji said vaguely.

"Hey, I'm not brown, I'm blue!" Happy said angrily.

"Who can possibly confuse brown with blue anyway! They are totally different colours" Natsu said irritated.

"My bad, it looks like my info wasn't that accurate on this one" Kenji said boringly scratching his head.

"Kenji, I think your name reminds me of something. I've heard of a mage that looked like you that has been going around recently destroying dark guilds. Are you that mage?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, I see your cute friend has already heard about me" Kenji said smiling.

"Why would someone who's in a dark guild attack and destroy other dark guilds?" Happy asked.

"Rumors tend to overreact. There weren't that many guilds and I haven't actually destroyed them. I just, convinced them to join us, where do you think half of the guys that you fought yesterday came from? Anyway, I am not here for talking. I am more interested in action right now" Kenji said as he lifted his fist.

"Sounds good to me" Natsu said grinning as he pumped his fists.

"Good. But before we start, you might want to watch where you are standing. You might be surprised" Kenji said lightly.

"What?" the Fairy Tail mages said together as suddenly, a small seal appeared where Lucy was standing and started to slowly float in the air with her on top of it.

"Hey what's this? I can't get off" Lucy yelled as she started running on the seal but couldn't go anywhere. The seal slowly moved towards the side of the path where the cliff stated and then it disappeared once it reached it.

"Eh? Aaahh!" Lucy first blinked in surprise and then yelled as she fell to the cliff.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled panicked.

"Lucy! Don't worry, I'll catch you!" Happy said as he flew towards her.

"I'm coming too" Natsu said as he prepared to jump but he was stopped in his tracks when a bright, golden blast passed right in front of him and crashed somewhere behind him with a strong explosion. "You! What do you think you are doing you bastard?" the pink haired mage growled enraged as he turned around and saw the blond mage grinning with his hand raised.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you go just like that. We are getting ready for a fight, remember? Besides, you shouldn't worry so much about the fall, the hill isn't that tall, the cliff isn't very steep and your flying cat will probably catch your cute friend. Perhaps, you should be a little more worried about what awaits her at the feet of the hill" he said.

"Why? What's at the feet of the hill?" Natsu asked angrily but with some worry in his voice.

"Another one of us. His name is Jinrei and he is not as nice as I am. To tell you the truth, he is a strange dude. Generally, he doesn't like fighting, especially girls or opponents who are weak. But then again, he is quite dedicated to our master's orders and he can be pretty cold and ruthless" Kenji said.

"Really? Well, Lucy is not weak! And what exactly are your master's orders?" Natsu asked.

"To eliminate Fairy Tail" Kenji said still grinning.

"Hah! Well, you can try. I guess I'll have to beat you up and then beat up this Jinrei guy" Natsu said decisively.

"Don't think you can just pass by me, Salamander. I'm pretty tough too" Kenji said as the two mages took their battle stances.

* * *

><p>Lucy kept falling on the side of the hill as Happy flew swiftly towards her.<p>

"I got you!" the blue Exceed said as he managed to grab Lucy's shirt and lifted her to the air.

"Happy! Thank you" Lucy panted. Happy flew to the ground, which surprisingly wasn't very far. They both sat on the ground trying to catch their breath, Lucy rubbing her arm with a pained expression.

"Lucy, you're too heavy. You need to lose some weight" Happy complained.

"Oh come on now! I'm not that heavy" Lucy said back.

"Well, it's hard for me to carry you!" Happy argued.

"Maybe you should consider working out" Lucy said.

"Ehem" someone seemed to clear his throat near them. Lucy and Happy stopped arguing and turned slowly towards the source of the sound and froze in their positions. In front of them was standing a tall, muscular mage, with a bald head than shone in the daylight and thick eyebrows, dressed in a green vest, with trousers and he had heavy, golden bracelets on his wrists.

"He is huge" Happy thought.

"Is he also Black Wing?" Lucy thought worried.

"Hmph! A girl, how boring" the tall mage snorted.

"Are you also from Black Wing?" Lucy asked.

"Indeed. I am Jinrei of Black Wing. I am part of the Black Crows. And I'm guessing you are Fairy Tail. I suppose Kenji got what he wanted and he is fighting right now. Too bad little girl, my orders are to eliminate Fairy Tail, and that includes you. Even though, I do not enjoy fighting weak opponents" the big man said.

"What did you say?" Lucy said her anger and determination winning over her fear.

"You didn't hear me little girl? Perhaps you are so afraid that you can't hear me clearly. I said that my orders are to eliminate you. You are Fairy Tail, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll make this quick" Jinrei said coldly.

"I heard that! You're right, I am Fairy Tail! I am not a little girl, my name is Lucy! And I am not weak, maybe I am not one of the strongest, but I will not let you look down on me or my guild! I will defeat you" Lucy said decisively as she got up.

"Aye! And Lucy is not alone! I am here too" Happy said as he got up as well and stood firmly next to Lucy. Jinrei's eyebrows rose up in surprise.

"Perhaps I underestimated you. I see you have some spirit little girl. Maybe, this will be interesting after all" he said.

* * *

><p>Gray and Erza continued their way in the forest. The trees around them had become so thick, that the sunlight barely made through the branches and the leaves, making the forest quite dark. The two mages suddenly stopped walking as they noticed some movement among the trees.<p>

"Gray someone's coming" Erza said alerted.

"I know" Gray responded. The Fairy Tail mages stood ready as the shadowy figure that was moving towards them drew closer. The two mages noticed that it was a young girl with red, shoulder length hair, dressed in a red shirt and short, black tights.

"I found you" the red haired girl said in a slow, singing voice.

"It was about time someone appeared. I thought we would wonder in this forest forever" Gray said.

"You are from Black Wing, right?" Erza asked.

"That's right. But, I am not simply from Black Wing. I'm part of the Black Crows, the elite team of the guild! And, I've finally found you Erza Scarlet!" the red haired girl said, as she pointed her finger at Erza.

"You found me?" Erza said confused.

"Erza, do you know her?" Gray asked.

"No, I don't think I do" Erza responded thoughtfully, as she tried to remember.

"Of course you don't know me! It's the first time we've met after all. But I know you, Erza Scarlet. You're one of Fairy Tail's S-Class mages, and one of the strongest women in the country!" the red haired girl said, with a hint of admiration.

"You seem to a lot about me, but I'm afraid I do not know anything about you. Maybe we can start with your name" Erza said with a small smile.

"Oh, you want to know my name? I am honored! You may call me, Honoko. And I'm the one who's going to defeat you, Erza Scarlet!" the red haired girl said confidently.

"Is that so? Okay then, let's see if you can actually do this. Gray you go on ahead. She seems to like me, I'll deal with her" Erza said smiling.

"What do you mean I like you, you fool! I just want to defeat you and prove that I'm stronger than you" Honoko said, flustered.

"Are you sure? I know you can handle yourself but, she seems a little, crazy" Gray mumbled.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Besides, I am sure there are more of this Black Crows in the forest. And they have probably been waiting for us. Chances are, the others may have already met some of them" Erza responded.

"You're right. Fine, I'm going then. I'll be waiting for you when you're done here. You hear me Erza, don't you lose! We're going back to Fairy Tail together" Gray said intensely.

"Of course" Erza appeased him with a warm smile, as Gray stepped forward on his own. She followed him with her eyes for a while before she quickly turned her attention to her opponent.

"Now it's just the two of us" she said.

"Good. Let's find out who the strongest between the two of us is. I am going to enjoy taking you down Erza Scarlet! And when we're done, I am going to be on top!" Honoko said grinning.

"You are still talking about fighting, right?" Erza asked, a little confused.

"Of course I'm talking about fighting, what else could I be possibly talking about?" Honoko snapped.

"You're a funny one! Okay then, let's see what you've got" Erza commented, as the two fiery red heads prepared for their fight.

* * *

><p>Gray continued his way running, his thoughts still being with Erza. "It's fine! Don't worry about it, Erza will be okay. I just need to focus on my own task" the dark haired mage tried to calm himself. After a while he noticed the ground around him and he stopped running. The forest seemed even darker and if that wasn't enough, there was a strange, white, light fog around him. "This is strange. Either this is another trap or there's someone else around here. If that's the case then where is he?" he thought as he turned around, scanning the place. He noticed something coming towards him fast and he was barely able to dodge. "Hey now" he mumbled as there was a small explosion and he saw a small hole where he was standing.<p>

"Very good. It looks like you are faster than you look Fairy Tail mage" a voice was heard.

"Well isn't that nice of you. Now you can either show yourself or I am going to flush you out" Gray said as he took his battle stance.

"Oh my, what an attitude! Okay then, here I come" the voice was haired again. Gray turned towards where the voice was heard and saw a shady figure appearing from behind the trees, as if he came out of the shadows. The shady figure moved towards him and Gray saw that it was a tall, dark haired mage with a neat mustache, dressed in an elegant, black tuxedo, holding a black, wooden rod with a white orb on its tip and he was also wearing a top hat.

"You are also Black Wing, right? And I'm guessing that you are one of the Black Crows too" Gray said.

"Exactly. I am Arkana of the Black Crows. And, unfortunately for you, I seem to be your opponent" the dark haired mage said grinning as he lifted his hat a bit.

"Really now? Because I think that you are the one with the bad luck" Gray said smiling.

"Magic is a rare and powerful gift, as is the power of imagination. I have been studying magic ever since I was little. Do you really think you can win this fight?" Arkana said holding a card.

"I guess we'll found soon, won't we" Gray said as he took his battle stance.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was walking calmly through the forest. He was still worried about the young mages, but for the moment he could only hope that they were fine. Something inside him was telling him that everything would be fine, he had already witnessed that the Fairy Tail mages could take care of themselves. That's what he thought as he continued his way. The trees didn't seem to be that thick at this part of the forest so it wasn't that dark. Kakashi stopped walking and looked around the place.<p>

"You can come out now. I know you're there" he said. A shadow quickly jumped from one of the trees and landed in front of him.

"You found me faster than the last time. Either you are getting better at this or I am getting worse" the rouge ninja said grinning.

"You're probably getting worse at this. Maybe you are getting rusty. Although, I kinda have the feeling that you weren't actually trying to stay hidden" Kakashi said.

"Maybe. I see those mages aren't with you. Are you sure those kids are going to be okay on their own?" the rouge ninja asked.

"I'm sure they will be fine" Kakashi responded calmly.

"I am sure that the Black Crows have already found them by now. Those mages are finished, they are no match for them" Hun said confidently.

"I don't think so. Fairy Tail is strong. Don't underestimate them" Kakashi said with the same calm voice, only this time he sounded more determined.

"Black Wing has tricks that your mages can't even think of. And not all of them are out there yet" Hun said.

"Even if things are harder than they look they won't lose. They are not alone, they have each other. And with some luck, they will have more than that" Kakashi said.

"Hmph! You always have a plan, don't you? Anyway, I was looking forward to a rematch with you" Hun said.

"Another rematch? This sounds interesting, but are you sure you are not going to run away again?" Kakashi said.

"No, no running this time. This time we end this. And you shouldn't be that confident Kakashi. Last time you barely defeated me" Hun said.

"Perhaps. I see your arm is better" Kakashi noticed.

"Yes, it was a nasty hit but my arm is as good as new now. And this is not the only new thing about me" Hun said confidently.

"Okay then, let's settle this" Kakashi said.

* * *

><p>Somewhere deeper in the forest, in the guild of Black Wing the master of the guild was standing in the upper floor of the building, and was looking at the forest ahead of him through the balcony with a smile.<p>

"The stage is set. Now we'll see who is the strongest, Fairy Tail or my Black Crows?" he said.

"Are you sure you don't want me out there?" a shadowy figure said, behind him.

"Don't be hasty. You may have the chance to fight too. For the moment, you stay here" master Sid, instructed.

"Fine, even thought I am not exactly thrilled about standing around like this" the shadowy figure said.

"Yeah, but you are also not a big fan of fighting too. You just want to show off" Master Sid, said.

"Maybe. But still, this is Fairy Tail we are talking about. I am sure, sooner or later, I will have to go out there" the figure said as he got out of the shadows from the back of the room. It was a tall, well built man, with long, black hair and a black goatee, dressed in a heavy, purple plate armor, matching shoulder plates, black trousers and heavy, brown boots.

"We shall see" master Sid smiled wickedly.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at some other part of the forest, on a small hill, Natsu was getting ready for his fight.<p>

"Here I come. I am getting fired up!" Natsu said, decisively.

"Come on Salamander. I am ready when you are" Kenji grinned widely.

"Let's go then" Natsu said as the two hot headed mages faced each other, ready for their battle.

**Author's note: There goes this chapter. It looks like the battle between Fairy Tail and the dark guild is about to begin. The poll concerning this story is still running. I've been having some new ideas lately, so I've made some changes on the poll, actually I've added a couple of more choices. I am not sure when I'm going to upload the next chapter, but I think it's going to be within this month, at least I'll try. Anyway, see you next time guys.**


	8. Fairy Tail vs Black Wing (pt1)

**Author's note: Hey everyone, new update! I hope you like it. I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
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**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 8**

The sun shone brightly, sending its warm light over the seemingly calm forest. But the forest wouldn't remain calm for much since the Fairy Tail mages were getting ready for their battle against the Black Crows. On one of the hills inside the woods Natsu was already facing his opponent.

"Come on Salamander. Let's see the power of Fairy Tail" Kenji said grinning.

"Okay then, if that's what you want. Here I go" Natsu said as he charged forward. "Karyu no Tekken!" he yelled as he surrounded his fist in bright flames.

"Mega Fist!" Kenji yelled as his fist glowed with a golden light and charged as well. The two mages attacked together and their fists collided, creating an explosion that sent both of them backwards, but they both landed on their feet.

"Not bad" Kenji said as he moved his hand that went slightly numb.

"His attack was as strong as mine. And it was similar to that blast that he shot earlier. His magic seems to be quite destructive. This will be a challenge" Natsu thought as he attacked again with a number of swift punches. Kenji was able to block his attacks and countered with a quick combination of his own blows. Natsu managed to block and dodge the hits. Kenji continued with a round house kick that Natsu barely evaded by ducking. As he quickly got up Kenji attacked with a big swing with his right hand. Natsu evaded by pulling himself backwards and seeing the small opening he charged forward, succeeding in landing a hard punch on his opponent's face. Kenji fell a little back dizzy from the force of the hit but he instantly attacked by landing an equally hard punch on Natsu's face who was momentarily staggered. The blond mage quickly followed with a hard kick but Natsu quickly recovered and blocked the attack, however the force of the kick was so strong that sent him flying.

"Karyu no Kagitsume!" he yelled as he surrounded his leg in flames and attacked in mid air. The strong move got Kenji and sent him flying backwards, spinning on his side. Both mages landed on their feet again, even though more clumsily this time as Natsu fell and leaned on his hands and Kenji fell on his knee.

"He heh, not bad at all. I guess you really are as strong as I've heard" Kenji said with a big smile.

"You're pretty tough too. Good, I am getting fired up" Natsu said grinning.

"I am just getting started. Now let's try something different. Take this" Kenji said as he lifted his hand. A small, golden sphere had started to form.

"Oh man! Here it goes" Natsu mumbled as Kenji started firing a barrage of blasts at him. The pink haired mage started dodging the blasts clumsily.

"Hold still damn it!" Kenji yelled angrily.

"No way, you bastard!" Natsu shot back. He continued dodging while at the same time he started running towards his opponent in order to close the distance.

"Man, this guy sure is fast" Kenji thought as he continued firing at a faster pace. Natsu ignited his flames on his feet and leapt forward, taking height at the same time.

"Karyu no Yokugeki!" he yelled as he surrounded his arms in flames and attacked. His attack got his opponent, creating a small explosion and covering the spot where he was standing in dust. Natsu landed on his feet, waiting for his opponent's next move. The blond mage suddenly attacked through the dust and landed a heavy blow on Natsu's midsection. Natsu gasped from the force of the hit.

"Mega Kick!" Kenji yelled as his leg glowed brightly and hit Natsu on his chin, sending him flying backwards. Natsu however, did a back flip and after landing on his feet he resumed his attack by giving his opponent a headbutt, followed by a strong hit to his mid section.

"Karyu no Enchu!" he yelled as he surrounded his elbow in flames and drove it to his opponent's face.

"Why you" Kenji said angrily as he got Natsu with an uppercut, followed by a knee to his stomach.

"Gahh! You bastard!" Natsu growled as he punched his opponent again. The two hot headed mages continued exchanging blows, blocking and dodging or taking the hits and continuing their attack anyway, until they both punched each other directly in the face at the same time. They both stood like that for a while, twitching until they broke up and moved backwards a little dizzy.

"You are pretty good Salamander. But that's enough. I'm getting serious now" Kenji said.

"You're getting serious? So, I'm guessing this wasn't your full power so far. Good, because that would be boring" Natsu said.

"Heh, as I expected from you Salamander. However, I hope that this is not your full power either. Because if that's the case, then this will be over pretty soon" Kenji said confidently.

"Really? You sure talk big" Natsu said.

"Okay then, see for yourself. You'll find out than I am not just talk. Let me show you my full power" Kenji said as he began to charge his magic power. His body started to glow intensely, his muscles tensed, his eyes momentarily became white and the force of his magic was so strong that a wild wind blew around him. Natsu put his arm in front of his face to cover himself from the wind and the small rocks that were blown.

"That's some crazy magic power" he said.

"How's that? Are you ready Salamander? Here I go" Kenji said laughing as he dashed forward.

"He got faster?" thought as he barely had any time to respond. Kenji attacked with a number of quick, devastating blows that Natsu wasn't able to dodge. A hard punch took him of his feet and a quick, strong kick sent him flying, crashing against the side of the hill.

"What's the matter? Can't keep up?" Kenji said with a mocking tone in his voice as Natsu struggled to get back on his feet. "Better get ready, the next one is going to be explosive!" he continued as he put his arms close, leaving a small gap between them and creating a large, golden sphere. "Light Grenade!" he yelled as he fired the powerful blast. Natsu managed to roll out of the way, dodging the blast which crashed against the hill but the explosion was so strong that sent him crashing hard on the ground.

"Good job avoiding this one, but what about the next one?" Kenji said as he lifted his arm with his hand open. A large number of small, golden spheres appeared around Natsu who looked around worried. "No escape from this one. Light Bullet!" Kenji said after closing his hand tightly, causing the small spheres to fall against Natsu and explode, getting him in the blast since he couldn't avoid this move, but instead he tried to block it. "It's time I finish this. My strongest move" Kenji said as he reached his arm forward and grabbed his forearm with his other hand. "Explosive Cannon!" he yelled as he fired a powerful golden blast.

"Karyu no Koen!" Natsu yelled as he fired a large, flaming ball. The two attacks collided with an intense clash. Kenji's blast was more powerful, it broke through the flames and crushed on Natsu who lifted his arms to protect himself. There was a strong explosion and when the dust cleared, Natsu was lying flat on the ground on his face covered in dust.

"Is that all? Is that all you can handle? You are pretty strong, but I expected more Salamander. Is that how you defeated master Zero? Is this the power of a Dragon Slayer? Is that all there is to Fairy Tail?" Kenji said lifting his arms with a hint of disappointment. "Oh well, I guess I'm done here" he continued as he turned to leave but he stopped once he heard some stirring.

"Where are you going? Do you really think you are done?" Natsu said as he struggled to get back on his feet panting.

"You can still move? I guess you really are a tough one" Kenji said surprised. "How can he still get up after taking a direct hit from my strongest move? That attack that he fired, I see. It must have cut down the force from my move so he didn't take the hit with its full power. Nice move Salamander but still, I am surprised that he can still move" the blond mage thought as he watched Natsu trying to stay up.

"We made a promise. That we would get back home to Fairy Tail, all of us. I am not going to lose here. Do you really want to see what there is to Fairy Tail? What Fairy Tail is about?" Natsu said still panting but with a grin on his face. "I'll show you then" he continued as stood firmly on the ground and started charging his magic power, roaring and surrounding himself in hot, bright flames.

"You've had this kind of power all this time?" Kenji said in disbelief as he watched Natsu powering up. Natsu kept roaring and powering up until he reached his peak.

"I am gonna show you not to take Fairy Tail lightly" the pink haired mage said silently.

"You've had this power all along and you didn't show it?! I think that you are the one who is taking me lightly! Come on then Salamander, let's find out who the strongest really is" the blond mage said angrily as he charged forward at a high speed. He attacked with another hard punch which Natsu blocked and countered with a blow of his own which landed hard on his opponents face. This time it was Natsu's turn to attack and Kenji had a hard time blocking his strikes. Natsu attacked with a swift kick, Kenji managed to grab his leg and smash him to the ground. He lifted him again, but Natsu countered by kicking him with his other leg. Kenji was pushed back wards from the force of the hit, causing him to release the grapple and Natsu leaned on his hands, pushed on the ground and attacked again with a dropkick that got his opponent on the chin. Natsu landed on his feet and prepared for another move.

"Karyu no Kenkaku!" he yelled as he surrounded himself in flames again and dashed forward, head first at a great speed and got his opponent right in the mid section. Kenji groaned, his eyes grew wide and he was sent back skidding on the ground. He grabbed his stomach with both his arms and fell on his one knee, panting as tried to catch his breath.

"Damn you" he groaned angrily as he suddenly got up and glowed again as he charged, he leapt forward at a high speed and speared Natsu, driving his strong shoulder to his mid section and they both fell down from the high impact move. Both of the mages rolled over to different sides as they both grabbed their stomachs and tried to get up panting.

"Let me show you another trick, Salamander. How about this" Kenji said grinning as he put his hands together. A large, glowing seal appeared under Natsu on the ground.

"What's this?" the pink haired mage yelled.

"Ground Explosion!" Kenji yelled as the seal shone brightly and exploded. Natsu was sent flying up. "Heh, I got you now" Kenji said as he leapt towards Natsu ready for another strike but he noticed Natsu's cheeks blowing as he turned in mid air to face him. "What the…? Ow, you got to be kidding me!" he said as he realized what was about to happen.

"Karyu no Hoko!" Natsu yelled as he fired a blast of hot, bright flames towards his opponent. Kenji put his arms in front of him to protect himself before Natsu's attack crashed down on him. The Dragon Slayer landed on his feet steady and watched as the smoke cleared and his opponent fell on the ground.

"Hah, hah, that one got me pretty good. You really are something else. But you can have much more. We are both nearly out Salamander" Kenji panted as he got up.

"I am not done yet!" Natsu said as he charged again, surrounding himself in flames as bright as ever.

"How can you still have this power? Is this, the power of a Dragon Slayer?" Kenji said stunned.

"This is not just my power. I am not fighting alone. My friends are with me. I can feel them. That's why I am not going to lose" the Dragon Slayer roared as he dashed forward. "Karyu no Tekken!" he yelled as he punched the blond mage away. "Karyu no Kagitsume!" he followed with a fiery kick. "Karyu no Yokugeki!" he sent him flying away. Natsu got ready for one more attack. "Karyu no Koen!" he yelled as he put his hands together creating a large fireball that got his opponent inside and exploded, enveloping him in flames. Kenji fell on the ground with a thud.

"What a guy" he mumbled.

"That's it! I did it" Natsu said decisively. He fell on his knees and took a deep breath. "Man, that was crazy. You sure were a tough one" he said. "I wonder how the others are doing" he continued as he turned and looked at the forest in front of him.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile not very far away, near the feet of the hill Lucy was getting ready to face her own opponent with Happy by her side.<p>

"Are you ready Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Yes, I just need to think first Happy" Lucy said. "This guy sure is big. But I can't be sure what kind of magic does he use. How should I start?" she thought as she tried to figure out her opponent.

"What's the matter little girl? You sounded so spirited and so pumped up just some moments ago. What happened now, did the cat ate your tongue?" Jinrei asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Hey, I did not like this joke" Happy said angrily.

"Well what can I say, I could not help myself. But all jokes aside, if you are not going to make a move little girl maybe I should go first and finish this quickly" Jinrei said.

"I told you not to call me little girl! Okay then here I go" Lucy said angrily as she pulled a golden key from her key chain. "I open the gate of the Bull, Taurus!" she yelled as a bright light surrounded her key.

"Muuu!" a big, white and black bull roared as he appeared from the light and stomped on the ground.

"Taurus is my strongest spirit when it comes to physical strength. Perhaps he should be able to fight this guy in a close combat" Lucy thought.

"Hey Lucy-san, I see your body is as nice as ever" the white bull said with hearts in his eyes.

"Yeah thanks Taurus, but try to focus. This guy looks pretty strong" Lucy said.

"Don't worry about it! Leave it to me Lucy-san" Taurus said confidently.

"Hmpf! A stellar mage huh? I see, it seems that you are even weaker than I thought in the first place little girl" Jinrei said with disdain.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy said angrily.

"It's simple. Stellar mages are weak and cowards. I have heard about your kind of magic, I have even faced another one before. All you have to do is summon your spirit and then take the back seat and let your spirit do the fighting for you. You don't have to do anything, only shout orders" Jinrei explained calmly.

"Lucy is not like that at all! Don't talk about her like that like you know her. You don't know the first thing about her" Happy said angrily. Lucy seemed shocked but she gave the blue Exceed next to her a warm look.

"Thank you Happy" she whispered with a small smile.

"Is that so? You really think that I am this wrong little cat?" Jinrei asked simply.

"Of course you are!" Happy responded intensely.

"How dare you talk about Lucy-san like that! How dare you offend her this way! I'm gonna make you eat those words!" Taurus roared outraged as he dashed forward, wielding his large double-edged axe. Jinrei managed to dodge the first swings by pulling himself back wards and then he blocked the next swing with his forearm, the blade of the axe hitting his large bracelet. His strong arm trembled for a while but he kept it steady.

"Tell me spirit. Do you really want to do this? Do you really want to fight me? Or are you doing this only because your master told you to?" the tall mage asked.

"Of course I am doing this because I want to! I will protect Lucy-san and her nice body! And I will not let anyone talk her down" Taurus said decisively as he put more strength to his blocked swing and overpowered his opponent. Jinrei was pushed back by the force of the hit.

"That's one strong spirit. I guess what I've heard is true, you really are the strongest spirit phusically" the tall mage commented. Taurus resumed his attack but this time, Jinrei was more ready. He evaded the swing of the axe and then attacked at the same time, striking the spirit with his opened palm to the chest. Taurus was momentarily stunned and Jinrei used this opportunity to knock the big axe of his hands and continued with a hard punch to his face.

"Taurus! Hold on" Lucy yelled worried. "Maybe I should call him back. This doesn't look good" she thought.

"I am done yet! I will not go down so easily" Taurus said as he soon recovered and attacked again, landing two hard blows to his opponent's face.

"Way to go Taurus! You can do it" Lucy encouraged him.

"Yeah, go Taurus! Beat him down" Happy cheered as he started punching the air.

"Enough! It's time I finish this" Jinrei said as his fist glowed and turned into stone. "Rock Fist!" he said as he punched the white bull away. Taurus was sent flying away, he spinned in the air and fell on the ground.

"Taurus! Are you okay?" Lucy said worried as she ran next to him.

"Lucy-san, I can still fight" Taurus said as he tried to get up.

"No you can't! You've done more than enough Taurus, thank you. Now you need to rest" Lucy said as she sent the spirit away.

"Lucy" Happy whispered sadly as the blond girl got on her feet.

"Well, that was a spirit with attitude. He certainly put up a good fight" Jinrei said. "A really good fight. It looked like as if he actually wanted to fight for that mage. And that girl. She was actually worried about her spirit?" the tall mage thought.

"Okay then. If short range didn't work, then I'll try long range" Lucy said decisively as she took another golden key. "I open the gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!" she yelled as she was surrounded with a bright light once again, the key glowed and she summoned another spirit.

"We are! Yeah" a short haired man with a long, scorpion like tail appeared. "Hey there Lucy. You called?" the short haired man said with a grin.

"Yes, I need your help against this guy. Watch out though, he is pretty tough" Lucy said.

"We are! No problem" Scorpio said as he pointed his long tail against his opponent.

"Another high level spirit? Interesting, but the outcome will still be the same" Jinrei said calmly.

"Sand Buster!" Scorpio yelled as he fired a torrent of sand at Jinrei. The tall mage put his arms up, the attack hit him strongly and pushed him back, but he managed to stop it.

"We are. Our sand didn't work?" Scorpion said surprised.

"My turn. Sand Tornado!" Jinrei yelled as he put his arms forward and fired a torrent of sand, similar to the spirit's attack only much stronger in force. Scorpio took the hit directly and fell down.

"Someone actually used sand against me? Sorry Lucy" Scorpion said.

"It's fine Scorpion, don't worry about it. Go, get some rest" Lucy said as she sent her spirit away. "This is bad. Two of my strongest spirits are defeated. Short range didn't work, long range didn't work. What am I going to do? Perhaps, this might work" the blond girl said as she pulled another key.

"Another summon? It doesn't matter which spirit is, I'll crush it like the other ones" Jinrei yelled as he charged forward with his arm raised.

"I open the gate of the Canine, Nicora!" Lucy yelled as she summoned another spirit. The silver coloured key shone brightly and a small, white creature with black eyes and an orange, pointy nose that resembled a carrot appeared. Jinrei stopped on his tracks abruptly once he got in front of the small creature and looked down stunned with his mouth slightly open.

"…" was all he could say.

"Puun, puun" the small creature said as it started walking around with small, dancing steps.

"Plue? What are you thinking Lucy?" Happy asked confused.

"Hey, I didn't know what else to do, okay? It looked like a good idea a moment ago. I am not so sure now" Lucy said. Jinrei lowered his arm and leaned forward on his knees, taking a closer look at Plue with half closed eyes. Plue continued to dance in front of him. The tall mage reached his arm and poked the small creature slightly, but it seemed like it was enough for Plue to fall on the ground. It got up almost immediately though and continued moving around in small dancing steps. Lucy and Happy sweatdropped.

"What do you think he is thinking?" Happy asked.

"I Have absolutely no idea. He looks confused, that's for sure" Lucy responded. Jinrei reached his arm again and this time he grabbed the small creature, he got up and held it close to his face again, still watching. Plue reached his small arms and tried to grab his face.

"Hey, are you kidding me little girl? I can't fight against something like this. If you are out of spirits then say it. Don't mock me with something like this. Are you even taking this fight seriously?" he said irritated pointing at the small creature.

"Of course I am taking this seriously! Fine, I'll summon something else, you don't have to be a jerk about it" Lucy yelled.

"Here, take your little animal or whatever it is back" Jinrei said as he tossed Plue towards her. The small creature seemed to float in the air and landed on Lucy's arms.

"Hey, don't throw Plue like this" Lucy said.

"I'm waiting" Jinrei said impatiently.

"Okay then" Lucy said as sent Plue back and pulled another golden key. "I open the gate of the Ram, Aries!" she yelled. The key shone brightly and a beautiful, pink haired girl dressed in a white, fluffy short dress that let her shoulders and her back bare, white, long gloves and yellow stockings appeared.

"I'm sorry. Did you call for me Lucy?" the pink haired girl asked.

"Yes Aries, can you help me against this guy?" Lucy said.

"I don't know, I'll try. I'm sorry" the pink haired girl said shyly.

"What's this? Another little girl? First that small, strange animal and now this little girl? And this one looks like it's going to try if I just look at her. I guess you really are out of spirits then. It's about time I finish this" Jinrei said as he attacked.

"Wool Wall!" Aries yelled as she fired a wall of pink, fluffy wool.

"What's with this fluffy thing?" Jinrei said as his punch landed on the wall and bounced.

"Wool Bomb!" Aries yelled as she shot a wave of pink, fluffy wool. Jinrei was pushed back and got covered in the wool.

"Good job Aries! I think we finally got him" Lucy said as she walked towards the pink haired girl and patted her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, good job fluffy" Happy said.

"Well, I tried my best Lucy. I'm sorry" Aries said shyly, moving her hips.

"Why are you apologizing for? I'm praising you here" Lucy said. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, the pink wall disappeared and Jinrei appeared surrounded in a green light.

"Enough playing around" he yelled as he punched the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked both the girls of their feet. The tall mage attacked again, turning his hand into rock and punched the ground in front of them. It wasn't a direct hit, but the force was so strong that sent the two girls flying and landing several meters away.

"Aries quickly, go back" Lucy said hastily as she sent the spirit away.

"I got you now" Jinrei said as he lifted his arm up and brought it crushing down where Lucy was lying. Once the dust settled, the tall mage blinked in surprise. "Where is she?" he wondered as he looks around and found her in the sky.

"Happy! Thank you" Lucy said gratefully.

"Aye! I got you Lucy!" Happy said.

"Not so fast. Sand Tornado!" Jinrei said as he fired again a large torrent of sand. Happy tried to dodge and they avoided a direct hit, but they were hit nonetheless and fell to the ground.

"Aaargh! I'm sorry Lucy" Happy said.

"It's okay Happy, it's not your fault" Lucy said as she tried to get up. Jinrei attacked again, Lucy grabbed Happy in her arms and tried to evade, but one more time she was sent away by the force of the hit and landed on her back.

"How much longer can you keep dodging?" Jinrei said simply as he walked towards Lucy who struggled to get on her feet. The tall mage swinged his arm and hit her with the back of his arm, even though not with full force, and sent her flying, falling on her side.

"Lucy, hold on" Happy said weakly as Lucy cried out in pain.

"It's over little girl. You put up a good fight, you were not the coward that I thought you would be. But you were gonna lose eventually" Jinrei said coldly as he stood over Lucy and raised his rock arm again. Lucy closed her eyes and waited for the strike, unable to move. The arm came crushing down but it never hit its target. "What?" the tall mage said in surprise as he felt someone blocking his attack. Lucy opened her eyes and lifted her head to see her rescuer. It was a young mage with wild, orange, spiky hair dressed in a dark blue tuxedo, his blue shades were shining in the sunlight.

"Don't you even think about it! You will not touch her again!" the orange haired mage said calmly, but with a boiling anger evident in his voice as he effortlessly pushed the tall mage back.

"Loke" Lucy said relieved.

"Yeah, Loke has arrived" Happy said as he sighed in relief.

"Hey Lucy. It looks like I came just in time. Sorry I was late" the orange haired mage said looking back at the blond girl, smiling as he pushed his shades up.

"It's fine, you came eventually, even if I didn't summon you" Lucy said with a tired smile.

"You don't need to call for me. I will always be there for you Lucy" Loke said softly. Lucy blushed slightly.

"Is that, Leo? The strongest of the Zodiacs? This girl has such a strong spirit? Maybe this fight isn't over after all" Jinrei said as he clensed his fists.

"It's okay Lucy. I'll take care of this guy" Loke said as he started walking towards his opponent.

"Loke, be careful. This guy is strong" Lucy said.

"I know that, don't worry. I'll finish this quickly and I'll come back to you" Loke said decisively as he started to glow.

"I never thought that I would get to fight the strongest of the Zodiacs. Who would expect that you would have a master like that" Jinrei said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Lucy is more than just my master. She is my fellow guild member, my friend, and I'm going to make to regret hitting her and taunting her" Loke said as he started charging his magic, surrounding himself in a bright, golden light. Jinrei blinked in surprise.

"Another spirit that considers this girl a friend? Come to think of it, all of her spirits seemed to care for her. And she sent them back while they could still fight. Why would she do that? Could it be, a stellar mage that actually cares for her spirits? And what's with that crazy magic power?" he thought shocked.

"I finally got a challenge again! I will not be defeated that easy! Rock Throw!" Jinrei yelled as he put his arm ahead of him, formed a green seal and fired a big rock.

"Regulus, give me strength" Loke said as he put his arm with his ring in front of him and charged. He then smashed the rock with one blow.

"He totally crushed it! Okay then, how about this. Rock Smash!" Jinrei yelled as he put both his arms in front of him, forming another green seal and sending a barrage of smaller rocks this time. Loke dodged some of them, destroyed some others and dashed forward. Jinrei continued his attack with some heavy blows this time, which Loke easily avoided and landed a hard punch with his glowing fist on his opponent's face that send him back, skidding on the ground.

"Damn you. Fine then, I'll use my strongest move" Jinrei said as he charged his magic power and put his arms forward. "Destructive Pillar, Obelisk!"he yelled as he fired a big, four sided, rock pillar with a pyramid shaped top.

"Regulus Impact!" Loke said as he fired a lion shaped, golden blast which smashed through the pillar and crushed directly at Jinrei, creating a big explosion and knocking him down.

"He did it" Lucy thought smiling ad Loke turned around and walked towards her.

"Are you okay Lucy?" he asked softly as he leaned next to her and helped her sat up.

"Yeah, thanks Loke. For a moment I thought I wasn't going to make it" Lucy said.

"The other spirits told me what happened. They told me how you tried to protect them. You did great Lucy" Loke said proudly.

"I am worried about the others though. Their opponents will probably be as strong as this guy, or perhaps even stronger" Lucy said.

"Don't worry about them. They can handle themselves, you know that well" Loke said lightly.

"Yeah, you're right. I nearly forgot, they are strong. Natsu, Gray, Erza and Kakashi-san, they are all strong. They are not as weak as me. I guess I still have way to go" Lucy said with a sad smile. Loke looked at her seriously.

"Lucy, you are not weak. You have grown much stronger since I first met you. You are kind, you are brave, you have a strong will and you are selfless, you care about your friends more than you do about yourself. This shows how wonderful you are. Don't say that you are weak ever again. Your feelings are what make you strong, not only your magic" he said as he hugged the blond girl warmly.

"Loke, thank you" Lucy said softly with a slight blush as she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing her tired body in the warm embrace. Happy moved closer and watched them with a playful look.

"He liiikes you!" he said teasingly as he put his paws on his mouth.

"Oh Happy" Lucy said with a sigh, as Loke broke his hug with a smile and helped her get back on her feet.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

"Yes, much better! Thanks Loke. Now we should probably find the others" Lucy said as the mages got back on their feet and turned towards the forest ahead of them.

**Author's note: Well, there goes one more chapter. Regarding the title, since this chapter focuses on two fights, I could give two different titles on this chapter, for each fight. As far Natsu's fight is concerned the title would be"Explosive Battle at the Forest", and about Lucy's fight "The power of feelings". Now, I've been asked by some of you if I am going to have any more characters from Naruto appear in the story, in addition to Kakashi. I am still working on it, but there is a very good possibility that I will do this. You can tell me your suggestions regarding which characters you want to appear at the poll that is still running concerning this story. And I have also re-checked my "A Day In Konoha" story and decided to make it a two shot, if anyone is interested. Anyway, I am not sure when the next update is going to be, but I'll try not to take too long. See you next time guys!**


	9. Fairy Tail vs Black Wing (pt2)

**Author's note: Hi everyone, Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday. The new chapter is up and running. Once again, I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
><strong>

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 9**

Kakashi was standing against his opponent. Both of the shinobi had yet to make a move, instead they seemed to be studying each other carefully and watching each other's moves, both staying on their ground.

"You seem more cautious than last time" Kakashi said.

"Well, one can only be too cautious against you. But, I am pretty calm. You on the other hand, look pretty worried. Are you thinking about those mages?" Hun said with a grin.

"Perhaps. For the moment you should be concerned about our fight" Kakashi said simply, sounding more calm than he actually was. In reality, he was pretty worried about the Fairy Tail mages. "Guys, I hope you are okay" the shinobi thought, as he focused on his opponent.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at another part of the thick forest, Erza was getting ready to face her own opponent.<p>

"Are you ready Scarlet? Here I go" Honoko said, as she started to form small fireballs at her hands. "Fire Sphere!" she yelled, as she started firing the small fireballs towards Erza. The red haired girl dodged most of the fireballs, and blocked some of them with one of her swords that she summoned.

"I see. You are a fire mage then. In that case, I'll try this. Requip!" Erza said as her armor flashed, and was replaced with an orange, dark red, and black armor, with dragon like wings attached to it, orange gauntlets, and dragon claw shaped greaves. "Fire Empress Armor!" she said, as she stood ready to attack.

"So this is the Fire Empress armor. The armor that is resilient to fire magic. Interesting, but don't think that this is enough for you to win" Honoko said, as she shot larger fireballs.

"We'll see about that" Erza responded calmly, as she easily blocked the fire attacks with her blade, and dashed forward, against her opponent. She attacked with some quick slashes with her blade, but the red haired girl managed to evade her attacks and leaped backwards, increasing their distance, and getting out of range, while at the same time she put her arms together and fired another large fireball. "She's pretty fast" Erza thought, as she blocked the flames and continued her attack by throwing some flaming slashes from her blade. Honoko surrounded her forearms with bright flames, and blocked the attack.

"I told you, this won't be enough. Your armor may help you against fire, but fire magic doesn't work well against me either. This will get us nowhere" Nina said simply.

"You may be right. Perhaps I should try something else then. Requip!" Erza said as her armor flashed again, and it was replaced by a green armor, which also had some bluish parts. The breastplate was green, and somehow resembled seaweed, and Erza also wore a headgear, with a large metal part covering her forehead, bearing a whirl-shaped wave on it, and large fin-shaped protrusions siding her head. "Sea Empress Armor!" she said decisively, as she took her battle stance, but her expression quickly changed.

"What?" she asked slightly confused, as she noticed Honoko blushing slightly, once she saw that armor.

"Nothing! It's nothing" the red haired girl responded quickly, waving her hands in defense. "What kind of armor is this? At first, I thought that that previous armor made her look kinda cute, but this is too much!" Honoko thought, as her eyes fell on Erza's barely covered breasts, as well as her exposed belly and back. She quickly shook her head to send these thoughts away.

"Are you okay? Do you need a brake?" Erza asked, slightly concerned.

"I'm fine! So you decided to fight fire with water. Pretty simple and yet smart. I guess you can use several kinds of magic thanks to your armors, right? That's pretty cool, actually" Honoko remarked, regaining her composure.

"Well, that's awfully nice of you. But don't expect me to hold back just because you are being kind!" Erza responded, as she fired a strong, water whirlwind from her blade.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Scarlet!" Honoko said, as she put her arms together. "Flame Blast!" she yelled, as she shot a large blast of bright flames. The two attacks collided, and the fire attack was so intense that managed to vaporize Erza's water attack. "How about this one. Fire Blade!" she said, as she fired a burning slash that moved pretty quickly. Erza surrounded her blade with water, and managed to block the attack.

"I think it's time to try something different" Honoko mumbled, as she surrounded her forearms with bright flames again, only this time when the flames disappeared, her arms were equipped with dragon like, bright orange, red, and black gauntlets with a flame pattern, and three long blades on each one, like claws. "You look surprised, Scarlet" the red haired girl said amused.

"You can use requip magic too?" Erza asked surprised.

"Not exactly. Let me explain, I don't simply use fire magic. As you probably already know, there are different kinds of fire magic. Mine is called Fire Make magic" Honoko responded, grinning.

"Fire Make magic? I see, this must be similar to Gray's Ice Make magic" Erza thought, but quickly got on the defense as Honoko charged against her, and attacked with swift blows. Erza managed to block the incoming blows from her opponent, but she seemed to have problem keeping up with the strength and speed of the now armored mage, and she was pushed back.

"What's the matter Scarlet? Having trouble?" Honoko yelled, with a mocking tone on her voice. Erza attacked with a quick swing of her blade, but Honoko blocked it with one of her gauntlets and landed a hard kick to Erza's midsection. Erza stumbled backwards, and Honoko attacked again, only this time the red haired mage was able to block the incoming attack and managed to push her opponent. Erza then quickly requiped to her regular armor, summoned two swords, and counter attacked, making things more even, stopping her opponent's momentum, and pushing her back even further.

"Requip! Flight Armor!" Erza said, as she changed into a yellow and black cheetah printed armor, with a large collar around Erza's neck, and a tail hanging from the back of her shorts, both made of bushy fur, plus a pair of large cheetah's ears, which adorned both sides of Erza's head. The only parts that seemed armored were her forearms and legs. Honoko looked confused for a while.

"You know, I'm beginning to think that you don't really know the concept of armor" she commented, blushing again.

"What are you talking about? This armor greatly increases my speed, as well as my reflexes" Erza explained.

"Perhaps, but shouldn't it be a little, heavier? I mean, isn't it a little bit revealing for an armor? Actually, I am not even sure if that qualifies as an armor at all!" Honoko said, as her eyes fell again on the same parts that caught her attention before, as well as Erza's well toned legs, since that particular outfit did little to cover them.

"I don't know about that. I always thought that the design of this armor was kinda cute" Erza commented, with a smile.

"Well it's not only this one, it's also your other armors. Your first one seemed okay, although a little light, but the next one... For a moment, I thought it would fall apart" Honoko continued, blushing.

"Would that be a really bad thing?" Erza asked, with a sly smile.

"Ooh, I see you are a teasing one. Hmph, fine, whatever suits you!" Honoko said, still blushing slightly, but with a confident smile. "Anyway, if you are going for speed, then I might as well do the same. Fire Make, Flight Boots!" the red haired girl said, as her legs were surrounded in bright flames, and a pair of bright red, and orange, metal boots, with a flame pattern that matched her gauntlets, appeared. "Let's see who's faster!" she said, as the two mages charged forward at the same time. They started a quick paced battle, both of them attacking with swift moves, blocking and dodging, Erza's blades clashing with Honoko's gauntlets. Honoko managed to get one of Erza's blades between one of her dragon like gauntlets' claws, and tried to knock it out of her hand, but Erza managed to hold her blade securely, and freed her blade by twisting it, causing her opponent to spin in midair. The hred haired girl lost her balance momentarily, but she was able to land on her feet. Erza then blocked the following blows, and counter attacked by landing a hard kick to her opponent's midsection, sending her backwards.

"Flame Whip!" Honoko yelled, as she suddenly created two long, flaming whips, one on each hand, and attacked. Erza was surprised by the quick counter attack and tried to block, but the force of the whips was so strong that knocked one of her blades away. Honoko attacked again with quick strikes from her whips. Erza tried to dodge, but Honoko managed to wrap one of her whips around her leg while she was leaping, and pulled towards her, causing Erza to fall hard on the ground, and land her back. Honoko lifted her whip, causing Erza to fly high in the air, and then pulled it down again, with more force this time, slamming her down on the ground again, and causing Erza to cry out in pain, but she still held on to her blade.

"Hah, I got you now, Scarlet!" Honoko yelled triumphantly as she attacked with her other whip, which Erza blocked with her blade, causing the whip to wrap around it. Honoko pulled hard, in order to completely disarm her, but Erza held on her blade tightly, and pulled towards her harder, causing her opponent to fall face first on the ground, the whips disappearing from her hands. Erza tried to stand up, but Honoko was on her feet quicker. She dashed forward, making her gauntlets disappear after they were surrounded in flames, and drove her bare fist into Erza's midsection, followed by a hard knee at the same place. Erza gasped, but counter attacked by landing a hard punch on her opponent's face. Honoko stumbled back, momentarily stunned from the hard hit, but quickly regained her senses and jumped forward, tackling Erza on the ground, and landing on top of her. Honoko then quickly grabbed her hands and pinned them next to her head, holding her tightly on the ground.

"I got you again, Scarlet" Honoko said silently, with a wide grin, to the trapped girl underneath her.

"Is that what you hand in mind when you said that you were going to be on top of me earlier?" Erza said with a smile. Honoko blushed at the thought.

"I see you are continuing with the whole teasing act, aren't you? Well, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but you got to admit, I do have the upper hand in our fight" she responded.

"Not yet" Erza said as she managed to put her legs between Honoko and her, and pushed her away, sending her crashing on the ground. Both girls got on their feet, panting slightly. Honoko was quickly on the offence again, as she tried to land another blow on Erza, but the red haired girl was quicker this time. She grabbed her opponent's hand, moved it around, behind her back in a hammer lock position, and forced her on one of her knees.

"It looks like I got you this time!" Erza chuckled, as Honoko groaned.

"Not so fast" she growled, as she hit Erza on her body with the elbow of her free hand, causing her to gasp and stumble backwards, freeing her other arm. She used that opening and attacked again, sweeping Erza's feet and throwing her on the ground. Erza, however, managed to do the same thing even though she was lying on the ground, and swept Honoko off her feet, as well. Both girls rolled over and got on their feet again, only this time Honoko was faster. She attacked while Erza was barely on her feet, and before she had time to react, she wrapped her arms around her body, trapping her arms in tight, bearhug style hold. After she quickly secured the hold, she started applying pressure with all her strength, squeezing the trapped girl in her hold, who gasped for air.

"Aargh! Let me go, damn it!" Erza panted, as she tried to break away from the tight hold.

"No way! I am not letting you go this time! This time, I got you for good!" Honoko claimed she increased the pressure, taking Erza off her feet. She blushed furiously at how close their bodies had gotten, but she kept the hold firmly. Erza gasped again, and tried to break free from the hold by kicking her feet around. Her kicks, along with her constant efforts to free her arms, eventually caused Honoko to lose her balance and fall on the ground, landing on top of Erza again, but breaking the hold because of the impact. Realizing her position, Honoko tried to hold Erza on the ground again, but Erza was able to quickly push her away with her legs again. Both girls stayed on the ground for a while trying to catch their breath, before they slowly got on their feet again, panting.

"You are stronger than you look" Erza said between her breaths as she rubbed her arms.

"Heh, yeah. Thanks" Honoko panted as she felt her face still burning. "I got to admit though. This armor is kinda cute" she commented as she turned her head towards the red haired girl.

"I'm glad that you agree, but I think it's time to try something else. Requip! Black Wing Armor!" Erza said desicively, as she changed into a black armor with silver trimming, that had silver crosses is several places, a black silver-edged breastplate, with plates flanking her hips that reach down to her waist, and large, armor plates guarding her legs, and two large wings. Erza stood firmly, holding her sword with both hands.

"So this one is called Black Wing armor? He, heh I like this armor. And of course, it looks good on you like all the previous ones" Honoko commented, with a smile and raised her arm. "Fire Make, Iron Gloves!" she said, as her forearms were surrounded in flames and the she created a pair of bright orange and red, iron gloves. "Fire Make, Sword!" she continued, as her hand was surrounded again in flames, and she created a long sword with an orange hilt. The two mages took their battle stances and stood against each other. Honoko attacked first by firing a large fireball from her hand, and Erza evaded the attack by flying high in the air.

"So you can fly with this armor, huh? Okay then, how about this? Fire Spin!" Honoko said, as she started firing rapidly a barrage of small, flaming blasts. Erza evaded most of the flames and blocked some others with her sword, before she dove against her opponent at a high speed. Honoko was able to block the incoming attack with her own sword, but she had difficulty stopping Erza's momentum. The two fiery mages then engaged in a close combat with their blades, Honoko showing great skill with the sword, but eventually Erza's more experienced swordsmanship started to give her the advantage. After a series of quick strikes Erza managed to knock the sword out of her opponent's hand, and following her momentum, she landed a strong blow to her opponent's midsection with her elbow. Honoko gasped and stumbled back, but she was quickly able to counter attack.

"Fire Make, Wall!" she yelled as she surrounded her hands in flames and created a large, flaming wall between them. Erza quickly leaped backwards, to keep her distance from the hot flames. The flaming wall soon disappeared and Honoko was already charging her next attack.

"Fire Make, Arrow!" she yelled as she created a flaming bow and fired a large, flaming arrow at a great force and speed. Erza reacted almost instantly, and she was quickly able to block the flaming arrow with a strong strike from her sword.

"You blocked it?! But how, my timing was almost perfect" Honoko said in disbelief, as her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Indeed, your timing was almost perfect. But so was mine" Erza said, smiling.

"You really are great, Scarlet! Tell me, how you've done it? How have you gotten so strong?" Honoko asked, with a tone of frustration and curiosity in her voice.

"It's simple. My friends are the source of my power" Erza said, simply.

"Your friends? What are you talking about?" Honoko asked again, confused.

"It's not that hard to understand. My friends, my guild, they are my strength. I want to grow stronger in order to protect them. Just like they would do for me" Erza responded.

"Are you kidding me? Are you really telling me that you grew strong because of your friends? What nonsense! The only thing that matters is strength! You should know that, Scarlet! The only one you can rely on, is yourself!" Honoko yelled.

"Is that so? I guess I never really understood how you dark guilds think. But if you really have no bonds with each other, then this is just sad" Erza said seriously.

"Really? Well, let's see how strong your bonds are" Honoko growled angrily, as she charged her magical power. A large, bright orange, glowing ring appeared around Erza.

"What's this?" Erza said, as she looked around. Honoko put her hands together, and the large glowing ring closed around Erza.

"This is one of my strongest moves! Flame Exploding Ring!" Honoko yelled. The ring glowed more brightly and exploded, catching Erza in the middle of the blast, destroying every tree and rock around it and surrounding the place in thick smoke. When the smoke cleared, Erza was lying on the ground, her armor heavily damaged. "That's it. I win, Scarlet. You are the strongest mage I've fought so far, as I expected you to be. But I win this one. I told you that the only one that you can rely on is yourself, and that the only thing that matters is strength" Honoko said, seriously as she walked slowly towards Erza. She stood there and looked at her for a while, not sure what to think, or how to feel. Suddenly, Erza began to stir. Honoko took a step back, and looked with a stunned expression, as Erza slowly got on her feet, panting.

"That was, a strong one" she mumbled as she tried to stand on her feet.

"What?! But how, how can you still stand? This was one of my strongest moves" Honoko said, shocked.

"It was a strong move. But that's not enough to keep me down. I told you already, I am not fighting only for myself. I fight for my friends! They are my power!" Erza claimed, as she turned her head towards her opponent.

"But you are alone now! Your friends aren't here with you! How can something like friendship help you right now?" Honoko yelled, frustrated.

"I can feel them, standing right next to me. And I can feel them, right here" Erza responded, as she put her hand above her heart. "Someone like you with no strong bonds could never understand" the red haired girl said. Honoko clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth.

"Bond? Friendship? That's why she is that strong? That's why she got up?" she thought. "Ridiculous! I won't lose because of friendship! And talk to me about bonds! You don't know me!" Honoko yelled angrily, pointing her finger towards Erza.

"Come on. The next move will finish this fight!" Erza said decisively, as she lifted her sword.

"That it will! I brought you down once, and I will do it again! Fire Make, Spear!" Honoko said, as she surrounded her hand in flames, and created a bright orange, red, and black spear. The two fiery mages attacked at the same time, at a high speed, and clashed in the middle of the distance between them, creating a strong wind around them, from the force of their collision. For a while they both stood still, then Honoko gasped in pain, dropped her spear, and fell on her knees, weakly. Erza had managed to block her hit, and landed a strong blow with the hilt of her sword to her opponent's midsection.

"It's over" Erza said, as she changed back to her regular armor.

"How did this happen? I was winning! How, could I lose? Are bonds really that important?" Honoko almost sobbed, as she lifted her head and stared at Erza with teary eyes. Erza gave her a pitiful look.

"Of course they are. Tell me Honoko, is there no one in your guild that is close to you? Is there no one that you care for, or someone that cares about you?" she asked. Honoko thought for a while. There wasn't anyone in particular from the regular guild members, but when it came to her team. Kenji wasn't that bad. Perhaps he annoyed her most of the time because of his laid back attitude, which went all the way to actual boredom most of the times, and his regular teasing, but they seemed to get along pretty well. Even Jinrei who didn't talk much and seemed somewhat cold in general, was usually somewhat kind, in his usual behavior. Arkana was a different case, though.

"Well, most of my teammates are completely crazy, but I think I get your point. Perhaps, I should value these bonds a little more" Honoko admitted.

"See? Maybe things aren't that bad after all" Erza said, as she lifted her hand.

"You are offering me your hand? Why? I am your enemy" Honoko said, surprised.

"The fight is over. And I can see that you are not such a bad person. There's no reason for us to be enemies anymore" Erza said with a warm smile. Honoko smiled as well, and looked at her with admiration.

"You really are amazing, Erza" she mumbled, as she fell to the ground. Erza leaned over her, a little concerned and checked her. She smiled, once she realized she was okay.

"It's fine. Rest now, Honoko" she said softly.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at another place of the forest Kakashi and Hun had finally dropped their guard and started their fight. The two shinobi had charged at each other and started exchanging swift blows, Kakashi holding a kunai and Hun holding his newly repaired sword. Hun continued his attack by increasing the speed of his strikes and started swinging his sword around, spinning like a whirlwind and eventually landing a hard hick on Kakashi, who had gone on the defense, sending him backwards.<p>

"You are faster than before" Kakashi noticed as he rubbed his stomach.

"Heh, I told you before, didn't I? The mages of that guild not only fixed my arm and repaired my sword, but they also gave me a little boost on my abilities. Or actually, in better words, they helped me to unlock my potential. Either way, I'm stronger than last time" Hun said with a wide grin.

"I see. It might be a little harder to defeat you this time" Kakashi said calmly.

"You still think that you are going to win? Talk about confidence. Your Sharingan may have given you an advantage last time but I am faster this time, fast enough to keep up with you" Hun said as he charged forward.

"There's more to me than just my Sharingan. And you are about to find that out" Kakashi said as he charged forward as well. The two shinobi engaged in a close combat again, even more fierce than before. Kakashi eventually managed to knock the sword out of his opponent's hand, but in return Hun was able to knock the kunai out of Kakashi's hands. They continued exchanging swift blows until they both landed a hard hit on each other, Hun landing a hard punch on Kakashi's face and Kakashi connecting with a strong kick to the side of Hun's head, and both of them were sent flying backwards. Kakashi landed clumsily on his feet while Hun spinned in midair and landed on the ground, but he quickly got up.

"Doton, Doryuheki!" the rouge ninja said as he waved a number of seals, slammed his hands on the ground and created two large stone walls on his each side, one of them being much thicker than the other.

"This time he created two walls? And that one looks pretty big" Kakashi thought.

"Doton, Iwa no Yajirushi!" Hun said as he slammed his hand on the walls and sent a number of long, rock made arrows. Kakashi quickly pulled a kunai from one of his pockets, dodged most of the rock arrows and blocked some of them with his kunai.

"That trick again? Don't you have anything new?" the white haired jonin said.

"How about this one then? Doton, Doryuso!" Hun said as he slammed his hand on the much thicker wall. A large, pointy, rock made spear was fired from the wall.

"Well, this is new" Kakashi said as he jumped high in the air in order to evade the attack.

"I got you now! Doton, Ganchuso!" Hun said as he slammed his hands on the ground and sent a large, sharp, rock made pillar towards Kakashi who was still in midair.

"Raiton, Raimori!" Kakashi said as he formed a number of seals and created a long, light blue, sparkling lance that he sent flying towards his opponent. The light blue lance broke through the large, rock pillar and crashed on the ground, creating a small explosion and throwing lightning sparks all around. Hun barely managed to evade a direct hit, but he took some damage from the sparks. Kakashi landed on the ground and started preparing a new jutsu as he quickly waved another set of hand seals.

"Raiton, Raikou Ookami Shikon!" he said as he reached his hand and sent a bluish, wolf shaped, lightning blast against his opponent. Hun quickly formed some hand seals, covered his arms with a rock armor and lifted them to cover himself. The blast crashed on him with force, destroying his rock armored defense, but it seemed enough to absorb some of the damage from the powerful attack.

"That's some crazy jutsu you got there" Hun said panting, but not losing his grin, as he tried to move his arms around since they had got a little numb.

"The Raikiri may be one of my strongest jutsu but it's not the only Raiton jutsu that I know" Kakashi said simply.

"I see. Well then, I guess it's time for me to use this move. I haven't actually tried it before, but it should be enough" Hun said as he started glowing and he began trying to focus his chakra. His body then was covered with a hard, gray black, rock armor.

"What kind of jutsu is that?" Kakashi asked surprised.

"Just another trick that I learned from those mages. You may already know that when a Doton user is using a defensive jutsu like rock armor he increases his strength and mostly his defense but at the expense of his speed. The rock armor is making it a little difficult to move freely. But I don't have these limits anymore. Now I can fully use the effects of this jutsu while still retaining my speed. Pretty convenient, right?" Hun said with a wide grin.

"Yeah, really convenient!" Kakashi said with a tone of sarcasm and frustration in his voice.

"Let's finish this!" Hun said as he charged forward at a high speed. He attacked with a number of swift blows and Kakashi tried to dodge, since blocking seemed out of the question for the moment. Hun managed to land a hard punch, which Kakashi had no choice but to block since he didn't have time to dodge and he was sent flying backwards, towards one of the nearby trees. He crashed hard against the tree and shook his head in order to regain his senses from the hard hit, but he had little time to recover, and he was barely able to evade the next blow, since Hun attacked again, and crashed the tree where Kakashi was moments ago. Kakashi then took cover at the trees for a while, while the rouge ninja kept crushing them.

"Where are you Hatake Kakashi? You're hiding now? Come out and fight" he yelled angrily. Hun then noticed Kakashi coming out from behind one of the trees, and rolling in the open where they were fighting. "I see you" he yelled as he charged against him. Kakashi threw some shuriken at him, which simply bounced on the rock armor, barely doing any damage, and Hun landed a hard blow that sent Kakashi flying high in the air. "I got him! Wait, something is not right" the rouge shinobi thought. His thoughts proved to be right since Kakashi disappeared in white smoke with a puffing sound once he fell on the ground. "Damn it! A kage bunshin, I knew it! Where is he?" he yelled as he turned around and saw Kakashi charging his move. Hun opened his eyes in shock as he noticed the blue lightning blade on his hand. "Not this jutsu again" he groaned.

"It's over. Raikiri!" Kakashi said, as he dashed forward at his full speed with his jutsu ready.

"Let's end this" Hun said as he attacked as well, with his fist raised. He attacked with his full strength, swinging his arm as fast as he could but he could tell that he missed. Kakashi evaded the blow by ducking and drove his Raikiri through his opponent, piercing his rock armor. The rest of his armor soon fell apart and Hun fell on the ground. Kakashi stood up and looked at his opponent seriously.

"I guess it wasn't enough, was it?" Hun panted as he caught his wounded belly.

"It was a close call. You really are strong, but it's over now" the white haired jonin said.

"Perhaps" Hun said as he sat up against one of the trees. Kakashi sighed tiredly and looked at the sky.

"I wonder how everyone is doing" he thought.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, deeper inside the woods, at a darker, more shadowy part of the forest, Gray was getting ready for his own fight.<p>

"You are wasting your time ice mage. This is a fight that you can't win" Arkana said with a wide grin as he charged his magical energy, surrounding himself in a dark aura.

"It seems like I got the annoying one. Okay then, I'll shut this big mouth of yours" Gray said decisively, as he threw away his shirt and his jacket at the same time, with one swift move.

"How is striping going to help you with this fight?" Arkana asked slightly confused.

"It's a habit of mine. It helps me get better focus. Let's go then" Gray said with a grin as he stood ready for his battle.

**Author's note: ****There goes another chapter, and since it also focuses on two fights, each fight could have a title of its own. As far as Erza's battle is concerned, the title could be "The Meaning of a Guild", and as far as Kakashi's battle is concerned, the title could be "A Shinobi Rematch". And something more about Kakashi's fight,yes, I kinda improvised there and used a couple of jutsu that I thought of. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I would like to know what you think about it. See you next time guys!**


	10. Reinforcements arrive

**Author's note: Hey everyone, new update! The tenth chapter of this story is up, I hope you like it! Once again, I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
><strong>

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 10**

Deep inside the thick forest Gray was getting ready for his own fight.

"This guy, he may seem strange but I got a feeling that he is stronger than he looks. I should better be careful" he thought.

"Well then let's start, shall we?" Arkana said as he quickly drew a couple of cards from one of the pockets of his tuxedo. The cards started flowing in a bright purple light as he threw them towards where Gray was standing. Gray was barely able to dodge as the cards flew at a high speed against him and started exploding once they hit the ground.

"That was close" Gray said as he dodged the attack. "My turn now. Ice Make, Lance!" the dark haired mage said as he put his arms together and threw a number of long, ice made spears.

"Interesting. But not as good as this one. Magical Mist!" Arkana said as he draw another card and held it in front of him. The card started glowing and a fog of white mist appeared, causing the ice made spears to vaporize once they got inside the mist.

"What kind of trick is this?" Gray said surprised.

"One of my favourite cards, as well as one of my strongest. Nothing gets past my Magical Mist. Now let's see if you are ready for this one. Scattershot!" Arkana said with a grin as the fog of mist dissolved and he threw another card high in the air. The card levitated in the air for a while before it glowed in a purple light like the previous ones and exploded in the air, sending a barrage of smaller cards towards the spot where Gray was standing. Gray managed to dodge again, even though the force of the attack caused him to land clumsily on his feet and lose his balance.

"Damn it!" he said angrily as he got back on his feet.

"I see you are pretty good at dodging, ice mage. You seem a little bit tired and a little tensed though. How about a magic trick?" Arkana said as he drew a white handkerchief and held it from the sides with both of his hands.

"What are you going to do now? Make a bird appear or something?" Gray said.

"Actually, this is exactly what I'm planning to do. Nothing in my sleeves and, voila! Here's a pretty pigeon!" Arkana said as he flapped the handkerchief with a theatrical move and a white pigeon appeared.

"Huh? He actually did it" Gray said surprised.

"Heads up!" Arkana said as the pigeon suddenly dove against Gray, who dodged again as the pigeon exploded once it hit the ground.

"Okay, enough of this! Ica Make, Hammer!" Gray yelled as he put his hands together, created a large, ice made hammer and threw it against his opponent.

"That looks dangerous" Arkana said as he threw another card that started glowing and absorbed the ice made hammer.

"What?" Gray said shocked.

"Now, let me return this to you" Arkana said grinning as the card started glowing again and threw the hammer back at Gray who barely dodged one more time.

"What was that?" Gray said as he got back on his feet.

"Another one of my favourites, my Reflecting Card. Even though, I don't think I'll be able to use it again during this fight since it takes a while to recharge" Arkana said as he put his card back to his pocket.

"Man, this guy's moves are totally unpredictable. His style is much different from Cana's Card Holder Magic. Okay then, I'll try close combat" Gray thought as he charged forward.

"Are you going for hand to hand combat? In that case, you might want to watch your step" Arkana said simply. Gray's eyes grew wide with surprise as he looked at the ground and noticed a card in front of him.

"Damn it!" he said as the card created a vortex of lightning that caught him in the middle of it, causing him to fall on his knees panting.

"You are making this too easy ice mage. Is that really the best you can do? This is almost disappointing" Arkana said with a mocking tone and a hint of disappointment in his voice as he walked slowly towards Gray. But he suddenly stopped once he noticed Gray's expression.

"Maybe you should also watch your step" the dark haired mage said with a grin.

"Did the electric shock hurt your head? What are you talking about?" Arkana said but he suddenly stopped as he nearly lost his balance. "What's this? The ground got slippery?" he said surprised as he looked the ground underneath him which was now frozen. "Hmph, what a cheap trick" he said with a disparaging tone in his voice as he lifted his head and his eyes grew wide in surprise as he saw Gray charging against him.

"I got you now" Gray said as he landed a hard blow on his opponent's face, who was sent flying backwards. Gray attacked again and landed another hard punch but his next strike was blocked by his opponent.

"You pack a strong punch ice mage. I am not that surprised actually, given your guild's reputation. I don't really like this whole fist fighting though, that's mostly Kenji's thing. But this doesn't mean that I don't know how to fight" Arkana said as he landed a hard kick on Gray's midsection, followed by a strong second kick at the same place and a hard strike with his cane on the side of Gray's face. Arkana went for another strike with his cane, but Gray caught it firmly with his hand.

"Well, that's too bad for you. Because, I don't mind a good fist fight at all. In fact, I do this with Natsu all the time, even if it makes Erza angry" Gray said with a wide grin as he landed a hard blow on his opponent's midsection, whose eyes grew wide and he gasped in pain, and continued by surrounding his fist with a block of ice and landing another strong punch on his opponent's face, who was sent flying backwards and crashed on the ground.

"What's the matter? Come on, is that all?" Gray said as Arkana slowly got on his feet and dusted his tuxedo.

"Hmph, I shouldn't expect anything different from a Fairy Tail mage. You guys are just what I've heard of, a bunch of loudmouth brawlers, with uncouth men, skimpy dressed women and an old pervert for a guild master, that all they do is drink, yell, fight and destroy stuff! Not one of you has the class or the elegance of a real mage!" Arkana yelled angrily, but he stopped once he noticed Gray's furious expression.

"You just made a serious mistake! I am going to teach you never to talk about Fairy Tail like this again, especially in front of me" Gray said with a slow voice that burned with anger.

"Is that so? Well, let's see if you are actually going to be able to do this, ice mage. Because I'm done playing around. Now I'm getting serious. And you won't be able to land another blow on me" Arkana said seriously with his black eyes shinning as he started charging his magical power and he was surrounded by a dark purple aura.

"I am going to beat you with my magic. I'll teach not to take Fairy Tail lightly. For the pride of my guild, my friends and gramps, I'll make you eat those words" Gray said seriously as well, with a hard and determined expression on his face and a clear look on his dark blue eyes as he started charging his own magical power, surrounding himself with a light blue aura and freezing the ground around him. "Ice Make, Geyser!" he yelled as he slammed his hands on the ground and created large blocks of ice with long spikes that moved towards his opponent.

"Dark Bombers!" Arkana said as he held several cards on both of his hands, which were surrounded in purple flames as they started to glow, and threw them. The two powerful magic attacks collided, creating a series of explosions as the ground was momentarily filled with blocks of ice and purple flames. Gray got ready for another attack.

"Ice Make, Hammer!" he said as he put his arms together and created an even larger than before ice made hammer which he threw it towards his opponent.

"What?" Arkana said surprised, but he quickly recovered from his surprise and spread his arms on his sides, creating several glowing cards that started to move quickly around his arms in circles. "Card Dealer!" he said as he put his arms in front of him with a wavy motion and started firing the cards rapidly against the large hammer, stopping it's speed gradually in the process and destroying it barely before it reached him.

"I got to admit it, you are stronger than I expected ice mage" Arkana said panting slightly. "But it's over now. I'll finish this with my next move. You see, when you use only one specific type of magic, even if it is something as powerful as your Molding Ice Magic, then sometimes it has obvious weaknesses. And I got just the right cards for that" the hat wearing mage said as he held two cards.

"You mean fire magic, don't you?" Gray said slightly worried.

"That's right. My Blazing Flame Card is my strongest fire magic card and it should be more than enough. And to make things even hotter, I'll combine it with this one, Dark Impulse. This special card will make the devastating effects of my fire card almost twice as strong. You're finished ice mage! Blaze Tornado!" Arkana said as he held both of the cards with the same hand, the one started glowing in a bright red and orange light and the other one in a purple light, and fired a torrent of hot flames.

"Ice Make, Shield!" Gray said as he put his arms together and created a large, semicircular, ice made shield that kinda reminded of a flower in its shape and got ready for the impact. The hot flames crashed on the shield with force and Gray struggled to hold his ground.

"Are you really that stupid? Do you really think you can hold your own against flames with ice? You are more foolish than I thought! Ha, ha, no way, you're finished ice mage! Burn away, along with your pathetic guild! Ha, ha, hah!" Arkana yelled with a maniacal laugh.

"Aargh!" Gray groaned as he was surrounded by the hot flames which burned intensely, his ice made shield almost gone. "Damn it, this is it? Am I done here, in this place? No, I need to do this, I need to win. But, can I do it?" Gray said silently as he slowly closed his eyes and started to feel the flames getting closer, his body getting weaker and his senses fading. "I'm sorry everyone, it looks like I'm done here. Goodbye Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Wendy, everyone. I can't do it" But as he started to remember some of his best and most joyful moments back at the guild, as the memories of his closest friends started to become more vivid, something seemed to burn inside him, and it had nothing to do with the flames surrounding him. He remembered Natsu's words about going back home together, he remembered his own words to Erza about meeting each other again, he remembered everyone's smiling and determined faces before they split in the forest. Gray opened his eyes decisively, a determined look on his face, his body no longer feeling weak but full of energy. "No, I will not lose! I will do this! We made a promise, to return back home together, all of us! Back to Fairy Tail! I will not lose here!" Gray thought decisively, as he started to charge his magical power, making his shield stronger and pushing the flames away.

"What? What is going on there? Why is he still standing?" Arkana said with an angry and wondering tone in his voice.

"Haaa!" Gray roared as he exploded in a wave of ice, freezing the flames around him.

"Impossible! He froze the flames?! How can this be?" Arkana stammered shocked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"There goes your master plan, trickster. It looks like your flames weren't that hot after all" Gray said with a grin.

"This guy, I can't believe he actually froze the flames. How did he do that? How strong is his magic? Perhaps I underestimated this guy" Arkana thought still shocked as some drops of sweat ran on his face.

"What's the matter? Not so talkative now, are you?" Gray said.

"I see. That was, impressive. But don't think you've won just yet. You see, I am not only part of the Black Crows, the strongest team of Black Wing, I am also the strongest of my team. Kenji may be at the same level with me when it comes to magic power, but I have studied magic way longer than him, ever since I was a kid, and I have a wider range of magic attacks. Recently, I have started using Rune Magic. You guys may have already fallen in some of my traps" the cat wearing mage said.

"Your traps? Wait, those falling rocks. So that was your doing, huh?" Gray said angrily.

"I'll take that as a yes. Let's see now, whoever stands in this place, will be trapped by the forest" Arkana said as he moved his cane, creating some purple markings in the air. The ground where Gray was standing shone in a purple light and then suddenly, some large tree roots came from the ground and wrapped tightly around Gray, covering him entirely. "I got you this time" Arkana said with a smile but his expression quickly changed and turned into an irritated frown as the tree roots started freezing and then got smashed around Gray.

"Ice Make, Arrows!" Gray said as he created a large, ice made bow and fired a barrage of ice made arrows towards his opponent who was barely able to dodge, and he was pushed away by the force of the attack as the arrows crashed on the ground.

"You stubborn fool! Why don't you just stay down? That's it" Arkana said angrily as he draw a number of cards, threw them in the air and they started flying around him quickly in a circle, glowing in a purple light. "Cards of power, give me energy. Dark Sphere!" the hat wearing mage said as he put his hands together on top of each other, leaving a gap between each other and creating a large, dark purple sphere which he fired against Gray. Gray raised his arms in a defensive position and surrounded himself with a large block of ice with long spikes around him. The dark purple sphere crashed on him with force, creating a strong explosion.

"This time I got you" Arkana said with a grin. But after the dust settled down, his eyes grew wide in surprise and his mouth hang open once he saw that Gray was still on his feet, panting but still standing with blocks of ice lying around him. "But how? How are you still standing?" he said surprised.

"It's about time I finish this. Ice Make, Cannon!" Gray said as he created a large, ice made, bazooka like weapon.

"This doesn't look good" Arkana said.

"Take this!" Gray said as he fired a large ice blast which crashed directly on his opponent, creating a large explosion. Arkana was sent flying backwards and fell on the ground with his hat rolling away. Gray sighed tiredly and sat on the ground for a while, trying to catch his breath.

"Man, that was a tough one. Anyway, I wonder how are the other's doing. Maybe I should go look for them. It's not gonna be easy in this big forest" he said as he got back on his feet and looked around.

* * *

><p>At some other place deep inside the forest, at the building of the Black Wing the guild master was watching at a crystal sphere on the upper floor of the building.<p>

"I see. I guess Fairy Tail is stronger than I expected. I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised. No matter though. The fight is still not done. The seals will be activated and the Black Crows will be back on their feet. Not only that, but now he has also left to join the battle. Let's see now Fairy Tail, how will you get out of this one" master Sid said laughing as he turned around towards the balcony and watched the forest with his yellow eyes shining under his large, black hood.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at a different side of the forest on one of the hills, Natsu was still trying to recover from his hard fought battle.<p>

"What should I do now? I suppose trying to find the others would be a good idea. This forest is too big though. Maybe I should start by going down that hill, Lucy and Happy should be somewhere there. I think I heard an explosion a while ago, I hope they are fine. I need to check on them now" he said as he got ready to jump down the hill. Suddenly, he heard a noise and noticed some light. Natsu turned towards the place where Kenji was lying and saw that a large, green seal had appeared under him.

"What's this?" Natsu said worriedly as he saw the seal glowing. The large, magical seal quickly disappeared and Kenji slowly got on his feet.

"Man, I really didn't want to use this, but I guess I wasn't planning on losing too" he said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What just happened? What was that seal? Why are you on your feet again?" Natsu asked loudly pointing his finger at him.

"You look surprised Salamander. Well, I can't actually blame you. Let me explain, what you just saw is called the Regeneration Seal. It's something that all of us, the Black Crows, have and it was given to us by master Sid. It activates automatically when we are defeated or hurt seriously in any way. It makes us recover and also recovers most of our magic, I think it's something more than the 2/3 of our magic" Kenji said.

"Such strong magic should definitely have some drawbacks or be dangerous" Natsu said.

"Not much as far as I'm concerned, I think I'll just feel extra fatigue later. Of course this is a one time trick, after that master Sid has to re activate it. I haven't actually used it before, I think Jinrei and Arkana have used only once before. Anyway, that's not good for you or your friends. If your friends have won their fights then the seal will be activated and my teammates will be back on their feet with most of their magic recovered" the blond mage said.

"That's playing dirty you bastard" Natsu said angrily. Kenji just looked at him seriously, his brown eyes making contact with Natsu's black eyes.

"Perhaps. Look, if I had things my way, then I would fight you again when you would recover, when you would be at your full power again. Then we could have a good rematch. But I told you before, master Sid has ordered us to finish you off, no matter the way. I don't have a choice" the blond mage said seriously, without grinning this time.

"Come on then. I'll just beat you up again" Natsu said decisively as he charged forward. He attacked with a number of quick hits but Kenji was easily able to block and dodge the hits and landed a few strikes of his own, sending Natsu skidding backwards.

"You can't win Salamander. Not at this state" Kenji said.

"Damn it. I am not giving up" Natsu said panting.

* * *

><p>Near the feet of the hill Lucy, Loke and Happy were standing against Jinrei who had also recovered most of his magic.<p>

"Loke, go back. I'll be fine, I'll summon someone else" Lucy said worried.

"Don't be silly Lucy, you barely have any magic left. Don't worry I'm fine. I can still fight" Loke said with a reassuring tone in his voice.

"You may say that Leo, but you are also more tired than you look" Jinrei said.

"We'll see about this" Loke said as he charged forward with his fists glowing. They started exchanging strong blows with Loke managing to land some strong strikes, sending his opponent stumbling backwards.

"Sand Attack!" Jinrei said as suddenly, he made a waving move with his hand and threw a wave of sand at Loke who tried to cover himself from the sudden attack and dropped his guard temporarily. "I got you now. Petrify!" the tall mage said as he formed a green seal with his hand under Loke, surrounding him with a green light which turned into rock and moved quickly upwards covering Loke's body except his head and trapping him inside.

"Loke" Lucy yelled worried as Loke was trapped.

"I told you that you are more tired than you let out. You lose this fight" Jinrei said as he raised his fist to finish Loke off, until he felt something wrap around his wrist. He noticed that it was the end of a black whip and he turned around, only to see, with some surprise, that Lucy was holding firmly the other end of the whip.

"You will not hurt him. Come on, you were supposed to fight me, weren't you? It's me you are after" Lucy yelled, her brown eyes looking at him firmly.

"True, you are my opponent" Jinrei said as he pulled his arm, causing Lucy to fall on the ground. The tall mage then untangled his wrist and moved slowly towards Lucy.

"Lucy" Loke yelled as he started charging his magical power. "Haaa!" he roared as he surrounded himself with a bright light and shattered the rocks around him. He then tried to attack but he fell to the ground.

"I see you managed to escape from my petrify attack. You really are powerful Leo, the only one who has managed to do that before is Kenji, but he was numb after that for a while. I don't think you'll be able to move again any time soon" Jinrei said simply as he continued his way towards Lucy who was still lying on the ground.

"Stay away from Lucy!" Happy yelled as he flew directly against the tall mage and headbutted him on the side of his face, but he remained completely unfazed and simply hit Happy with the back of his hand, sending him to the ground.

"Happy" Lucy yelled.

"You are brave little cat. Brave, but stupid" Jinrei said as he reached Lucy, having a cold look on his dark brown eyes and standing above her.

* * *

><p>Deeper inside the forest, Erza was facing Honoko, who had gotten back on her feet.<p>

"I see. That's an interesting trick" Erza said.

"I don't really like this. But I have no choice. Get ready, here I come!" Honoko said as she attacked, holding her sword. Erza quickly summoned one of her swords, got in a defensive position and started blocking Honoko's quick strikes. Even though Erza had proven to be more experienced at swordsmanship, her tiredness, along with a recovered opponent, turned out to be the difference maker, as Honoko quickly managed to knock her on the ground and stood above her, pointing her sword against her.

"I win" Honoko said.

"So it seems" Erza responded, calmly.

"I didn't want this, I didn't want to fight you again like this. I wanted to fight you again when you would have recovered and, perhaps, under different circumstances. But, I don't have a choice" Honoko said, in an apologetic voice.

"Of course you have a choice. Just do what you think is right" Erza said.

"But I have clear orders to finish you off. You are the one who told me to be faithful to my guild, didn't you?" Honoko said, frustrated.

"I told you to have faith to your bonds with others. But, you also need to have a mind of your own. If you think something is wrong, then don't do it. And if you are too confused to listen to your head, then try listening to your heart. I can't say anything more, do what you want to" Erza said honestly. Honoko's hand trembled for a while, as she struggled to decide what to do, and eventually she lowered her sword.

"I can't do it, I can't hurt you. I don't want to! You win again. I guess, I really am weak after all" she sobbed as she dropped her sword, fell on her knees and lowered her head. Erza slowly sat up, and gave her a sad look.

"You are not weak. Doing what you think is right is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength. You have a mind of your own and you can try to choose your own path, alone or with others. Preferably with others. So cheer up, okay?" she said softly as she lightly took her chin with her hand and lifted her head. Honoko looked at her, her light blue eyes meeting Erza's chocolate brown eyes. The red haired girl felt something warm inside her, as she saw Erza's warm smile and kind expression, and she smiled as well.

"Thank you, Erza!" she exclaimed, as she lashed forward and hugged her. Erza seemed a little surprised at first but she returned the hug, smiling. The two girls remained like this for a while until they broke their hug, as Honoko got back on her feet and lifted her hand towards Erza.

"Now you offer me your hand?" Erza said smiling.

"That's what you did before for me, isn't it? Besides, we are not enemies anymore, right?" Honoko said, smiling as well.

"That's right" Erza responded, as she took her hand and got up.

"You should probably find your friend who was with you earlier. If he is fighting Arkana, then he will probably be in trouble" Honoko said.

"Gray can handle himself. But you are right, I should better find him" Erza said. But suddenly, a large, dark purple blast was fired and crashed on Honoko, hitting her on the back, and causing her to cry out in pain and fall forward, towards Erza, who caught her in her arms.

"Honoko, are you okay? What happened? Who did this? Who's there?" Erza said, as she held Honoko in her arms, and looked around alerted.

"Don't tell me, it's him?" Honoko mumbled painfully, as she struggled to get on her feet. There was a sound of laughter, and the two girls turned towards the place where it was coming from. They noticed someone coming from behind the trees, and then they saw that it was a tall, well built mage, with long, black hair that reached a little bellow his shoulders, and a black goatee, dressed in dark purple and silver heavy plate armor, matching shoulder pads, black trousers and heavy, dark brown boots.

"Well, isn't that a touching moment. Making friends with the enemy. Seriously, how hard is it to finish of someone who is already tired" the dark haired mage said with a mocking tone in his voice, while grinning.

"Sigmund, you..." Honoko said, weakly.

"Sigmund the Vanguard? I think I've heard of you before, but I didn't know you were in this guild" Erza said.

"Erza Scarlet, I've been looking forward to meet you. I have heard a lot about you and I was curious to see what the big fuss was about myself. I honestly didn't expect you to have trouble with a weakling like her" the dark haired mage said.

"Is this a way to talk about your comrade?" Erza said calmly, but with anger vivid in her voice.

"Don't waste your breath. He will not sit around and listen to your speeches about guilds and friendship. He is not part of the Black Crows, but he is the strongest in the guild, and far worse than any of us" Honoko said.

"Enough talk! Since this weakling couldn't take you out, I'll do it myself" Sigmund said.

"Very well then" Erza said as she left Honoko gently, who fell weakly on her knees, and got on her feet ready to fight.

"Wait! He is too strong, and you are tired" Honoko said, worriedly.

"It can't be helped. Requip! Purgatory Armor!" Erza said as she changed into a black, spiky armor.

"Interesting. Come on then" Sigmund said as he drew a large great sword from behind his back, with his dark blue eyes shining, as he grinned.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at another side of the forest Gray was also standing against his opponent who had also recovered most of his magic.<p>

"I can't believe I have to fight this guy again. What a dirty trick" he said angrily.

"You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you? Dark Bombers!" Arkana said as he threw a number of cards surrounded with purple flames, which exploded as they crashed around Gray and sent him crashing against one of the nearby trees. "I got to say though, you really are powerful and your guild, although I still think it lacks class and elegance, is quite formidable. Only a fool wouldn't recognize it. But you didn't think you had actually won, did you? I guess you are not strong enough" Arkana said as he picked up his hat, dusted it and put it on again.

"You bastard, I defeated you" Gray said angrily.

"Perhaps. But you can never be sure with magic. Actually, I would prefer it if I didn't have to use the seal. I never expected that I would have to use it again but, I can't really complain. I do what I can with what I have" Arkana said.

"Okay then, bring it. I won't just sit around and give up" Gray said as he got back on his feet.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was still resting from his fight while Hun was sitting against one of the trees still wounded. But Kakashi could hardly believe what he just heard.<p>

"What?! So you are telling me that even if those mages lose, they can still recover and continue the fight?" he said with his eyes wide open in surprise.

"That's right. I told you before that your mages cannot win this fight. Even if they win the first round, they will probably be too tired to fight again. There's no way they can do this, there's no way they can win twice" Hun said.

"I got to find them" Kakashi said greatly worried as he tried to live but after a few leaps he stopped, like he hit an invisible barrier.

"You will not be going anywhere for a while. You see, I came here prepared. I've set up two seals somewhere near here, creating a barrier around this place. Even you won't be able to find them easily and if you do, you'll have to remove them at the same time. I realize that this won't be much of a problem for you, but for the moment you're stuck here. Even if you get out of here, you won't be able to make it in time. You've failed them Hatake Kakashi, you've failed your team. You can't help them" Hun said with an evil smirk, his black eyes staring at him. Kakashi stood silent for a while.

"Maybe I won't be able to help them, but others will" he said.

"Others? What are you talking about? Have you finally lost it?" Hun said.

"Exactly what I said. And no, I haven't lost it" Kakashi said as he turned around to face him with a serious look on his face. "You are not the only one who can plan ahead. I have already called for a back up team. They'll come here just like we did. And I don't plan on staying here for long" he said.

"You can't be sure when or if they are going to come. And if they do come, what can they do?" Hun said.

"Do not underestimate the shinobi of Konoha!" Kakashi said.

* * *

><p>At another part of the forest Lucy was still lying on the ground with Jinrei standing above her.<p>

"You fought well little girl. I don't know if this means anything, but I was wrong about you. You are stronger and braver than I thought, but most importantly, although you are a Stellar Mage you actually care about your spirits. For what is worth, I respect you for that. But I can't ignore a direct order. It's over" Jirnei said as he lifted his rock fist. Lucy lowered her head.

"Lucy" Loke and Happy yelled as Jinrei began to lower his rock fist.

"Konoha Senpu!" a loud voice was heard as suddenly a blurry figure appeared spinning quickly in mid air and landed a number of strong kicks at Jinrei, who was sent skidding backwards, before he landed in front of Lucy.

"What just happened? Who's that guy? At least Lucy is safe" Loke said confused but with a sigh of relief. Lucy lifted her head and saw a tall teenage boy, with short black hair, dressed in a green, full body spandex outfit and a light green vest.

"Who are you?" Jinrei said surprised.

"Konoha's beautiful green wild beast, Rock Lee!" the black haired teen said with a loud, enthusiastic voice and a shining smile.

"Rock Lee? That was one big introduction" Loke said slightly confused and amused at the same time.

"I have a feeling I'm gonna like this guy" Happy said.

"Konoha? You said you are from Konoha? You know Kakashi-san?" Lucy said as she sat up.

"You are Lucy-san, right? Yes, I am one of Kakashi-sensei's students. I was sent here along with the rest of my team at his request to assist his mission. He asked for reinforcements so we can fight along with a group of mages that are helping him" the black haired teen said.

"Along with the rest of your team? You mean you are not alone? Others have come too?" Lucy said spirited, with her hopes lifted up.

"A special team was made for this mission. Don't worry Lucy-san, I'll protect you" Lee said decisively as he took his battle stance.

"I see. It looks like I have another opponent. This looks interesting" Jinrei said.

"Be careful Lee-san. This guy is strong" Lucy said.

"Good. This will be a good fight" Lee said with a grin.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Erza had already started her fight with her opponent as they both attacked and engaged in a close swordfight.<p>

"He is pretty strong" Erza thought, as Sigmund seemed to block her attacks effortlessly. He then counter attacked with a heavy swing from his sword that Erza managed to block, but was sent backwards from the force of the hit and fell on her knees panting.

"You are good, really good Scarlet. But it's obvious that you can't keep up anymore" Sigmund said as he fired a purple blast from his hand, which landed directly on Erza who couldn't block. Suddenly, a large fire ball was fired at him which he managed to block with his sword and turned towards the place where the attack came.

"Honoko!" Erza said with a mix of surprise and worry in her voice.

"You, what do you think you are doing?" Sigmund with a low, menacing voice.

"You won't hurt her! I will not let you hurt her" Nina yelled decisively, as she had gotten on her feet.

"Have you lost your mind? Not only you refuse to fight your opponent, you let her go away even if she is winded, but you also attack me, your ally? All you have to do is just sit there and let me deal with what you were supposed to do! Or have you forgotten your orders?" Sigmund said angrily.

"I won't listen to this orders any more! I'll do what I think it's right, what my heart tells me is right! Erza showed me compassion and kindness, she told me how important is to have others by your side, to care about others, so I won't abandon her! Even if that means having to fight against you!" Nina said as she fired another large fireball.

"Enough Honoko! Let me fight him" Erza yelled, as Sigmund blocked the second attack, as well.

"You fool, have you forgotten that you haven't recovered all your magic? Do you really think you can fight me when you're not even at your full power?" Sigmund said, as he fired another purple blast which crashed against Nina and knocked her down.

"Your fight is with me!" Erza said, as she got on her feet, but another purple blast from Sigmund knocked her sword away.

"No, the fight is over" Sigmund said as he summoned a long, heavy chain and threw it against Erza, wrapping it around her and throwing her on the ground. "It's a shame, really. It would interesting to fight you at your full strength. Maybe, I should have challenged you in the first place" he said, as he pulled Erza on her knees.

"No, Erza! Let her go!" Honoko said as she tried to get up.

"Quiet down! If you like her so much, then maybe I'll finish you with her" Sigmund said, as he lifted his sword which started to glow, and got ready to strike. "You're finished!" he said as he leaped forward, and moved to strike. Suddenly, a strong blast of wind was fired and knocked Sigmund away, sending him flying backwards.

"What was that?" he mumbled surprised, as he got back on his feet. Erza and Honoko turned, surprised as well, to see what happened. They both saw a tall teenager, with long, dark brown hair, dressed in a white shirt with long sleeves, matching white pants and a dark gray apron.

"Who's this guy?" Sigmund said, surprised and confused at the same time.

"It's all right, I'm not an enemy" the brown haired teenager said to Erza as he lifted his hand, which glowed slightly in a light blue light, and cut through the chains with one swift move.

"What?" Sigmund yelled shocked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"He cut through the chains with one move. How did he do that?" Honoko thought, stunned.

"Who are you? You are, a friend of Kakashi, aren't you?" Erza said, as she noticed the forehead protector.

"That's right, I am one of Kakashi's comrades. My name is Hyuga Neji, and I'm here to help. Rest now, I'll deal with this guy" the brown haired teenager expained calmly, as he got up and walked towards Sigmund. As he was walking his eyes fell on Honoko, who was looking at him with a mix of surprise and slight uneasiness. "This girl, even though she was her enemy she tried to protect her. Why would she do that?" he wondered.

"So you are one of these shinobi guys, aren't you" Sigmund said.

"You seem pretty good fighting against tired opponents. Let's see how you fare against a fresh opponent" Neji said.

"Oh, you sound pretty tough! Sounds interesting. I just hope you are not only words. Let's see what you got then, shinobi boy" Sigmund said as he lifted his sword in a battle position.

"On my pride as a Hyuga, and as a jonin of Konoha, I will defeat you!" Neji said decisively, as he took his battle stance.

* * *

><p>At a more shadowy part of the forest Gray was struggling against his opponent.<p>

"You put up a good fight, even at this state. But it's pointless to continue this" Arkana said.

"Damn it, I will not stay down" Gray said as he got back on his feet.

"It's time to end this. So long, ice mage" Arkana said as he threw a number of dark purple, glowing cards at Gray. Gray got ready for the impact but then a stream of blue lightning passed between the two mages, knocking the glowing cards away.

"What? Who's there?" Arkana said as turned towards the place where the attack came from to see the newcomer.

"This move looked like Kakashi's move. But how, could it be?" Gray said as he turned as well and saw a raven haired teen dressed in white shirt, black pants, a purple cloth tied around with a black belt and a sword hanging on his waist.

"It's been so long that I still can't get used to it. But I kinda like the sound of it, shinobi of Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke" the raven haired teen said.

"Shinobi of Konoha, huh? A friend of Kakashi, I take it?" Gray said.

"You could say that. And I guess you are one of the mages that Kakashi said we are supposed to help. Anyway, I'll take on this guy, you can just sit down and rest" the raven haired teen said.

"No way. I will not sit this one out" Gray said.

"Oh, a mage and a shinobi. This looks quite intriguing" Arkana said with a grin.

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way" Sasuke said as he got ready.

"You might want to fix that attitude of yours" Gray said as he got ready as well.

* * *

><p>On one of the hills inside the forest Natsu was fighting against his own opponent, but he seemed to have trouble as well.<p>

"Give it up Salamander. You can't fight like this" Kenji said.

"I am not quitting" Natsu said as he attacked again. Kenji once again blocked his strikes and sent him crashing on the ground.

"Enough. I admire your spirit but you are making this hard, for both of us. Just stay down" Kenji said seriously.

"This is not an option. In Fairy Tail you don't stay down, you get up, you move forward. I won't stay down, not as long as I can still move" Natsu said as he tried to get back on his feet. Kenji gave him an almost sad look.

"Then, I'll put you out of your misery. Goodbye, Salamander" he said as he fired a large, golden blast against Natsu, without looking, creating a strong explosion. "I'm sorry Salamander. This, I don't think I'll ever get over it. What have I done?" he thought with a hint of regret as he turned towards the place where he fired the large blast and saw only a crater once the dust settled. "Wait, this can't be right" he said as he looked around and spotted Natsu lying on the ground with someone else next to him.

"Aww, what happened?" Natsu said dizzy as he lifted his head and saw a young teenage boy with spiky, blond hair, dressed in a black and orange jumpsuit standing next to him.

"Hey, are you okay there? Your name is Natsu, right?" the blond teenager said.

"Yeah, who are you" Natsu asked.

"Oh, let me introduce myself. Uzumaki Naruto has entered the stage! I am here as part of Kakashi-sensei's back up team" the blond teenager said with a wide grin.

"That's nice, but I can take care of this guy myself" Natsu said as he got up.

"No way, it's part of my mission to help. I didn't come all this way over here to sit around" Naruto said.

"Fine, then we both fight this guy" Natsu said.

"Good, maybe this will finally turn into an actual fight again" Kenji said as he grinned again.

"A team up, huh? This sounds interesting" Naruto said with a wide grin as he tightened his forehead protector.

"Okay, let's go then" Natsu said grinning as well as the two of them got ready for their battle.

**Author's note: ****There goes one more chapter and this is one of my longest chapters so far. About Gray's fight, the title could be "For the pride of Fairy Tail". So the shinobi of Konoha have arrived and round two is about to begin, what do you guys think about the Naruto characters that appeared? I think the team is kinda original, but it could happen. As far the timeline is concerned in Naruto, it's somewhere between the Hidan and Kakuzu Arc and the Itachi Pursuit Arc and, of course, it's slightly AU, with Naruto finally convincing Sasuke to go back to the village and that's why he is part of the team. Actually I wasn't completely sure about Gray's partner, I was kinda between Shikamaru, Sai and Sasuke and eventually I chose Sasuke, for not any particular reasons. Anyway, I am not sure when the next update is going to be, it may take a while since I got some other things that I need to do regarding my school. I hope you liked it and I would like to know what you think about it. See you next time everyone!**


	11. Konoha's Green Beast roars

**Author's note:**** Greetings everyone, the new chapter is up. I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 11**

Natsu and Naruto were getting ready for their fight as Kenji was moving around his arms, trying to flex his muscles and get into a better fighting condition.

"Hey, are you sure you can fight?"Naruto said.

"Of course I am! It's gonna take more than a few punches to keep me down" Natsu said.

"What about this guy?" Naruto asked as he pointed at Kenji who was now doing sit-ups.

"Don't let his attitude confuse you, he's actually pretty tough. Hey, what are you doing?" Natsu yelled angrily as Kenji had now moved to push-ups.

"What? I'm just trying to get back in shape. At least now that there's two of you, this will get more interesting" Kenji said as he got back on his feet. Natsu grunted angrily.

"You said that others have come with you as well?" he mumbled to Naruto.

"That's right! We followed Kakashi-sensei's intel and we split up soon after we entered this forest. My teammates should already be with your friends by now" Naruto said.

"Good, that's a relief. Now I can focus better on this fight" Natsu said as he sighed with relief. "And if your teammates and you are anything like Kakashi then we should be fine" Natsu said.

"Heh, don't worry about it! The strongest team has been assembled" Naruto said with a grin.

* * *

><p><em>FLASHBACK<em>

The Hokage's office was once again full, and this time it looks even more full than usual. Tsunade was sitting on her armchair behind her desk, leaning on her hands with Shizune and Sakura standing by her sides. In front of her were standing Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, Neji and Lee, as well as Pakkun who was sitting on her desk.

"So, this is how the situation is. Kakashi sent us this report explaining what has happened since he activated the seal and requests a back-up team. The good thing is that he has sent us more than enough intel so we can actually proceed a little more carefully this time and form a plan. I decided to sent a team of four, but I'm not quite sure who I should send for the moment" Tsunade said as she eyed the young shinobi in front of her carefully.

"What a drag! This mission seems pretty messed up. I would offer for this mission, but I'm not sure how much of a help would I be if it came down to a battle. Everyone else here in this room probably has more potential than me in a direct fight. And I think that should be our main focus in this situation" Shikamaru said rubbing the back of his head.

"Perhaps. Your intelligence, your observing talent and analyzing skills are nothing to be overlooked though" Tsunade said thoughtfully as she considered Shikamaru's opinion.

"I want to go! Tsunade baa-chan, send me on this mission" Naruto said decisively as he stepped forward.

"Of course you are going Naruto. You are one of the people who actually saw Kakashi activating this seal after all, so you should know how that works and do it again. Neji is the only one among you who is actually a jonin, his intelligence and his skills are almost as sharp as Shikamaru's and in addition to that he is probably the strongest among you for the moment. Lee is also strong in battle, and he and Neji are already a team so they work well together. Actually, now that I think about it, you three already know each other pretty well and you've teamed up more than once before" Tsunade said.

"Tsunade-sama, you should send me as well. I also saw Kakashi-sensei activate the seal so I can help Naruto. And since there will probably be a battle a medic-nin would essential, plus I can fight myself if it's necessary" Sakura said.

"While I don't really like this idea Tsunade-sama, I think Sakura may actually have a point" Shizune said in a matter of fact way.

"If knowing how to activate the seal makes someone a candidate, then I guess I also qualify for a position in this team" Sai said.

"Perhaps" Tsunade said thoughtfully as the door opened at that moment and a young, dark haired shinobi appeared.

"You wanted to see me?" he said.

"Sasuke-kun" Sakura said silently.

"Ah yes, Sasuke. Come inside and close the door" Tsunade said calmly as Sasuke closed the door and walked inside the room, feeling everyone's looks on him.

"Hey Sasuke! How's the head?" Naruto said casually.

"It hurts. Your Rasengan sent me flying towards a really big and hard rock" Sasuke grunted with a scowl.

"He, heh! Yeah, sorry about that" Naruto said with a small laugh.

"I've never seen a rock smash into so many pieces before. Sasuke must have a really hard head" Sai said with a smile.

"It's good to have you back again, Sasuke-kun" Lee said in a friendly way.

"And your kick nearly took my head off" Sasuke said as he turned towards Lee and stared him, rubbing his chin.

"Well what did you expect? To lay down the red carpet and welcome you to come back with open arms? Or get down on our knees and plead you to come back, although Naruto and Sakura pretty much did that last time they saw you and it didn't really work" Neji said as Naruto scratched his head and Sakura shifted from the one leg to the other uncomfortably. "Besides, this time you weren't their mission, they were already in a mission when they ran into you, and it's not like you went easy on them. I should have been on that mission too" he continued in a not so friendly tone.

"He certainly didn't go easy on us. Neither he, nor his Orochimaru buddies" Shikamaru said narrowing his eyes.

"Calm down everybody. Sasuke, you know fair well what you've done. You abandoned your village and your comrades and joined Orochimaru, an enemy of Konoha who has actually attacked us before, for your own purposes, and who knows what else you might have done later if Naruto and the others hadn't found you and somehow brought you back. If it wasn't for Naruto I would have already branded you a missing-nin and wanted, and perhaps I should have done that anyway. But what is done is done, I guess. You have already showed some good will since you were brought back, you were willing to provide us with information and you allowed me to remove Orochimaru's Cursed Seal" Tsunade said.

"Too bad though. I had already gotten the hand of it. It was a good asset in battle" Sasuke said rubbing his neck where his seal was.

"You may be right, but it turned out to be a good idea eventually. It seems that somehow there was a part of Orochimaru's DNA in the Cursed Seal and this certainly wasn't a good thing. Now that I think about it, perhaps I should also check on Anko about that thing. Anyway, you are better off without it, you just have to get used to fighting without the seal, and I don't think that this will be really hard for you. Now, Naruto has asked me to give you another chance, so for his sake I will. This might not be the best idea, but I will send you on this mission" Tsunade said.

"You, you are really going to send Sasuke-kun on this mission?" Sakura said surprised.

"Sasuke will come with us?" Naruto said surprised as well, as everybody looked at the Hokage shocked.

"I am not sure if this is a good idea" Shikamaru said, his disbelief evident.

"I agree. I don't think we can trust him so fast" Neji said.

"Enough! I have made my decision. You guys need to learn to trust each other and work together. This is a dangerous mission with a lot of things that seem uncertain. I don't like the idea of risking some of my finest shinobi, but it can't be helped. This team should be a strike team that will rely on speed, intelligence, experience, skill, as well as strength. Naruto, Neji, Lee and Sasuke, you will be on this team. Sasuke, this is a chance for you to prove that you had a change of heart. I expect all of you to be successful and get back here safely along with Kakashi" Tsunade said firmly as she stood up.

"Right" the young shinobi said at once.

"This is indeed the strongest team" Tsunade said with a smile as they got out of her office.

"Well, it is certainly an interesting team" Shikamaru said.

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled at the thought as he and Natsu took their fighting stances and got ready for their battle.<p>

"Okay, warm up is done. Now let's see what you guys got" Kenji said.

"Good. Let's do this then" Natsu said decisively.

* * *

><p>Loke tried to get back on his feet as Lee stood in front of Lucy and took his signature pose.<p>

"Damn it, I'm still a little numb. It looks like this guy will have to fight on his own for a while" he said as he got on his one knee and tried to move his arms.

"Lee-san, please be careful! I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me" Lucy said with a tone of worry and sadness in her voice.

"Don't worry Lucy-san! I said I was going to protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do! Everything will be fine!" Lee said with determination as he turned towards Lucy with a shining grin and lifted his thumb, taking his signature "good guy" pose. Seeing his grinning face and hearing the confidence and decisiveness in his voice, Lucy couldn't help but smile back.

"You're right! Okay then, I'm gonna help you" she said as she tried to stand but fell weakly back on the ground.

"Lucy, are you okay? Don't push yourself too much" Happy said worried as he flew towards Lucy's side.

"That's right Lucy-san. You're hurt and still tired from your fight. Let me take care of this" Lee said as he took his fighting pose again.

"That girl. She just met this guy and she already cares for him? How can someone be that kind and gentle?" Jinrei thought with some surprise.

"Here I go" Lee said as he dashed forward.

"He's pretty fast" Jinrei thought as Lee moved towards him quickly and leapt high in the air.

"Konoha Senpu!" Lee said as he attacked with a swift barrage of high kicks. Jinrei managed to block the first couple of strikes but Lee managed to land a follow-up attack of middle kicks, sending Jinrei skidding backwards. The tall mage the attacked with his fist raised and landed a hard punch against Lee, but the shinobi easily dodged and rolled out of the way, resulting in Jinrei smashing the ground. Jinrei continued his attack by landing hard blows as fast as he could but Lee kept dodging.

"Hey, he's pretty good!" Loke said with a grin.

"That's it Lee-san! Keep it up, you are doing great!" Lucy said happily with a loud voice.

"Go! Go! You can do it! Beat that guy up!" Happy cheered on enthusiastically as he started punching the air.

"Why you little! Stand still!" Jinrei growled angrily as he managed to land a hard backhand blow which Lee blocked by raising his arms, but he was pushed back by the force of the attack. "I got you now!" Jinrei said as he charged forward with his fists ready to strike. Lee however, was already ready for his counter attack.

"Dynamic Entry!" he yelled as he leapt forward with great speed and landed a strong kick on his opponents mid section. Jinrei's eyes shot wide open in surprise and pain as once again he was sent skidding backwards and caught his stomach. He growled again angrily.

"You left yourself wide open there" Lee said grinning. Jinrei laughed silently.

"I see. It seems you are pretty strong in close combat boy. You're strong, you're fast, your strikes are swift and accurate and you are focused. I am impressed. But don't you think you can win this fight with just some punches and some kicks boy" the tall mage said as he stood up straight.

"We'll see about that. I'm just getting warmed up!" Lee said with confidence.

"You sound pretty confident. There's a difference between confidence and foolishness though. Let's see then which one of the two you are. Come at me boy, show me what you got" Jinrei said as he got ready to strike.

"That's what I was planning to do!" Lee said as he dashed forward with great speed.

"Here he comes. Let's see how you deal with this then, Rock Fist!" the tall mage said as he surrounded his arm with hard rock and swung it against the shinobi who managed to duck and evaded the strike.

"Konoha Renpu!" Lee said as he attacked with a hard, low kick and tried to sweep his opponent. Jinrei didn't fall but he did lose his balance momentarily and Lee used his momentum, pushed the ground with his hand and landed another swift kick on his opponent. Jinrei stepped backwards, but quickly attacked again by landing a strong, hammer like punch which Lee blocked with a strong kick. Both of them were momentarily stunned from the impact of their collided strikes, but they recovered quickly. Jinrei attacked with a quick, straight punch and Lee evaded the strike by jumping high in the air and counter attacked by landing a barrage of swift kicks on Jinrei while still in mid air and continued with a spinning kick which landed on the side of his opponent's face and sent him backwards. Jinrei managed to land on his feet and attacked again quickly, this time landing a hard punch on Lee's face which sent him flying backwards. Lee once again balanced on his hands and landed on his feet.

"Rock Smash!" Jinrei said as he put his arms together and shot a barrage of rocks. Lee dodged most of the rocks and smashed some of them, but he took some damage from the attack.

"As I thought. This guy is really strong in close combat, but he doesn't seem like he can attack from a distance. As long as I keep my distance, I should be fine" the tall mage thought. "What's the matter boy? Can't keep up? I told you, you wouldn't be able to win this fight with simple punches and kicks. And it doesn't look like you can use any long ranged moves like that other shinobi could" he said.

"He's right. Most of my hits landed on him but he's pretty tough. And he started using his magical attacks, while I still can't use any ninjutsu. I need to try something different. I need to pull out the stops" Lee thought.

"Lee-san, hold on" Lucy said worried. "I need to help him" she continued as she tried to get up.

"Lucy don't push yourself! You're still tired" Happy said.

"But Lee-san is having trouble! I can't just sit here and do nothing" Lucy said.

"Yeah, I know that it looks that way. And I know that you want to help. But think about it. This is one of Kakashi's comrades. He said he came here to help. I doubt if that's all he's got. So far he has shown great speed and technique, but I'm sure he's still a lot stronger than that! We'll try to help him if we have to, but for the moment let's put our faith to him. Let's trust him and let him show us his true strength. And let's give him all our support! Go, furry brows guy! Beat him up!" Happy cheered on with a strong voice.

"You are right Happy. You can do it, Lee-san!" Lucy cheered on as well.

"Come on. Show us what you can really do" Loke thought.

"Lucy-san, talking cat. Thank you!" Lee thought with a smile as he heard them. "Okay! I am getting serious now! I'll show you the full power of youth!" the shinobi said with new confidence as he slowly started to partly unwrap the bandages from his forearms.

"Your confidence won't help you this time, boy. Rock Throw!" Jinrei said as he shot a large rock against Lee.

"Okay then, here we go. Kaimon!" Lee said as he activated the Gate of Opening, the first of the Eight Inner Chakra Gates. His strength and speed increased instantly and Lee dashed forward with great speed, smashing through the large rock.

"What?" Jinrei said shocked as Lee quickly reached him. Jinrei barely had any time to react as Lee landed a swift, hard kick to his chin which sent him flying high in the air. Lee then used his increased speed, jumped high in the air and moved behind his opponent who was still dazed and used his bandages to wrap around him.

"What is he doing? What kind of move is that?" Loke thought. Lee caught his wrapped opponent and started spinning around swiftly as they both started to move towards the ground.

"Omote Renge!" Lee yelled as he left his opponent who continued to move towards the ground with increasing speed and crashed head first on the ground, while Lee landed on his feet.

"What a move! I knew he could do it! He seems a little winded though" Loke thought as he watched Lee.

"Way to go, Funny brows guy!" Happy cheered enthusiastically.

"Did that do it? Did he win?" Lucy said. Everybody watched cautiously as Jinrei stirred and got up slowly.

"It wasn't enough? I need to try something else" Lee said.

"What a hit! I didn't expect you would be able to do something like this boy. If I hadn't used my magic and protect myself with my Rock Armor, you might have defeated me. But you lost your chance. Sand Attack!" Jinrei said as he shot a wave of sand against Lee who raised his arms in order to protect himself.

"Damn it, the sand is too thick! I can barely see anything" he said as he half closed his eyes. As the sand started to clear, Lee was surprised to see that Jinrei had almost reached him.

"I got you this time! Rock Fist!" he yelled as he prepared to land a pulverizing blow with his rock armored fist.

"Lee-san, watch out!" Lucy yelled.

"He's too close. I won't be able to dodge" Lee thought as got ready to block the blow.

"Regulus, give me strength!" Loke said as he suddenly landed a hard strike with his glowing fist on Jinrei's face, which send him flying and crashed on the ground.

"You are, Lucy-san's friend. Where did you come from?" Lee said with some surprise in his voice.

"Heh, I owed him this one. Are you okay friend?" Loke said with a smile as he turned towards Lee.

"Yeah, thank you for your help. That was close" Lee said as he got back on his feet.

"Don't mention it, Lee right? Besides you came here to help in the first place" Loke said.

"That's right. This guy is pretty tough though" Lee said.

"It's fine. I'll deal with him" Loke said.

"No, I'll fight him. It's not only because I want to help, it's also to protect my way of ninja. Overcoming the odds and pushing myself to the limits has always been one of my goals. Besides, I got a move that will definitely work. A move unlike everything I've done so far" Lee said decisively.

"Okay then. I'll leave this fight to you" Loke said with a smile as he saw Lee's determined expression. Jinrei slowly got back on his feet and shook his head.

"Was that Leo? He recovered faster than I thought" he said.

"He's not the only one!" Lucy said loudly. Jinrei turned towards her with a surprised expression and so did Lee and Loke. Lucy was standing on her feet with a determined look on her face and she was holding one of her golden keys.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Loke yelled worriedly.

"I will not stay down while my friends are fighting! I open the Gate of the Archer, Sagittarius!" Lucy said as she was surrounded by a bright light. A tall man with black hair, dressed in a brown horse suit and holding a large bow appeared.

"She was able to summon Sagittarius?" Loke said surprised.

"Ooh! So this is Lucy-san's magic. Impressive" Lee said.

"You called for me, moshi-moshi?" the black haired spirit said with a salute.

"Yes, Sagittarius. Please, help Loke and Lee-san" Lucy said a little tiredly.

"As you wish, moshi-moshi!" Sagittarius said as he shot a number of arrows at Jinrei who used his rock arm to block them.

"She summoned another spirit?! How many spirits does she have? I guess it's about time I go all out" Jinrei said as he started charging his magical energy, surrounding himself in a green aura.

"What is he doing this time?" Lucy said anxiously. Jinrei started roaring as he charged his magical energy and started slowly growing larger. His body started to become bigger thicker and it slowly covered with large, gray stone plates, which soon covered him entirely like a heavy armor.

"Stone Golem form!" he said silently as he was completely covered with a hard, rock made armor which made him look like a giant statue, his eyes having a strange, green glow through the dark, hollow sockets on his statue like face.

"You, you got to be kidding me" Lucy said shocked.

"He is even bigger than before!" Happy said with wide eyes.

"This doesn't look good" Loke said.

"Leave this to me" Lee said as he dashed forward with swift speed. The shinobi landed a number of strong strikes on the tall mage but they didn't seem to have any effect at all as he didn't even flinch. Jinrei then landed a hard blow that Lee tried to block but he was sent flying backwards from force of the hit.

"Lee-san" Lucy said as she fell weakly on her knees.

"Lucy, you don't have enough magic. Sent Sagittarius back" Loke said.

"Leo is right. I should better head back, moshi-moshi" Sagittarius said.

"Okay Sagittarius. Thanks for the help" Lucy said as the spirit disappeared.

"It seems like I didn't even have to fight this one. Now, all that's left is to finish off the rest of you" Jinrei slowly said as he raised his arm. "Rock Barrage!" he said as he shot a number of large rocks that were hurled at a great speed against them. Lee managed to dodge the large rocks while Loke moved quickly in front of Lucy and Happy and smashed every rock that got near them.

"His magic also seems to have increased" he said.

"Do you still think you can fight me boy?" Jinrei said as he turned towards Lee.

"Of course! Just because you got bigger is not enough for me to give up" he said.

"It's no use boy. You have a strong kick, but your attacks can no longer affect me" Jinrei said.

"I thought so. But I needed to see hard that stone armor of yours really is" Lee said.

"You tried to study your opponent. Smart move, although stupid and reckless in this case. And pointless. It will make no difference" Jinrei said.

"That's what you think. Now I know that I'll have to use this jutsu. The lotus in Konoha will bloom twice" Lee said with a grin.

"The lotus will bloom twice? What does he mean? Is he going to use the same move he did before?" Lucy said.

"I think it's gonna be something bigger this time" Loke said thoughtfully.

"Time to pull out all the stops!" Lee said as he raised his arms in front of him and started to focus his chakra, creating a strong force around him. "Kyumon, Kai!" he said opening the second of the Eight Inner Chakra gates which increased his strength even more and re energized his body. "Seimon, Kai! Shomon, Kai!" Lee said as he activated the next two gates, further increasing his strength and speed. Lee was now surrounded by a green aura, his skin had turned into a dark shade of red, his veins had popped out and his eyes had turned white.

"So this is what he was talking about. And he hasn't even attacked yet" Loke said as he, Lucy and Happy put their hands in front of them to protect from the dust that was swept away from the force.

"That's crazy" Lucy said.

"What kind of energy is this?" Jinrei said with surprise.

"Tomon, Kai!" Lee said as he opened the fifth gate, increasing his power even more. "Here I go!" he said as he dashed forward with blinding speed, moving close to his Jinrei who barely had any time to react. With a hard kick he sent his opponent flying in the air and leapt towards him.

"Ura Renge!" he yelled as he started landing a barrage of powerful blows, his ferocious speed allowing him to strike from every different angle making him look like a green blur. The blows were so powerful that the rock armor slowly began to crumble.

"What speed" Loke said.

"Konoha Daisenpu!" Lee said as he continued his attack with a number of powerful kicks that sent his opponent crashing on the ground.

"He did it!" Lucy said enthusiastically. Lee landed on his feet and fell on the ground exhausted, his appearance turning back to normal. The dust soon settled and Jinrei was lying on the ground, his rock armor almost completely destroyed. He stirred as he raised his head slowly.

"That was some technique. To think that even my Stone Golem form wouldn't be enough. It seems that I underestimated you boy. You win this fight" he said.

"You're pretty strong yourself. I use that move only in extreme cases" Lee said with a laugh.

"It surely is extreme" Jinrei said as he turned towards Lucy with a small smile. "You really are something else, little girl. Not only you are tougher than you look, you are also one of the kindest people I've met so far. Maybe if we had met under different circumstances, I wouldn't have to fight you" he said slowly. Lucy looked at him with sad eyes.

"I guess he wasn't as bad as he looked after all" Loke thought.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lucy asked with concern. Jinrei laughed silently.

"You sound concerned even for your enemy. How foolish. But I guess, I shouldn't be surprised anymore. Don't worry, I'm fine. Well, maybe not completely fine, but I won't bother you anymore. I'll give you just one piece of advice though. If your friends manage to win as well, just leave. Don't try to fight against Master Sid. He is nothing like any of us, the Black Crows. Just, leave the forest" Jinrei said before he fainted.

"Really? Is their guild master really that strong?" Lucy said concerned.

"Don't worry Lucy, at least we won here! Now we just need to find the others" Happy said.

"Happy is right. We don't need to be concerned about their guild master right now. And it might be a good idea to rest for the moment. How are you feeling Lucy?" Loke said softly as he helped her back on her feet.

"I'm fine Loke. What about Lee-san?" Lucy said with some worry.

"He's still lying on the ground. Let's go check him out" Loke said as the two of them along with Happy moved towards Lee who was lying on the ground seemingly exhausted.

"Lee-san, are you okay?" Lucy said worried as she kneeled next to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine Lucy-san. Just a little tired" Lee said as Lucy and Loke helped him to sit up.

"I see now what you meant Lee. That was one crazy move. Not to mention that you put it in a pretty poetic way" Loke said.

"Heh, heh, thanks. Guy-sensei taught me that" Lee said as he tried to laugh but winced in pain.

"Hey, take it easy" Lucy said softly.

"Still, that was pretty awesome Funny Brows guy" Happy said excited.

"Thank you talking cat" Lee said with a smile.

"It's Happy, actually" Happy said with a pout.

"You are the one who keeps calling him Funny Brows guy" Lucy said.

"It's fine. Naruto-kun also calls me something like that. Opening the five inner chakra gates took a lot out of me though. I don't think I'll be able to move for a while" Lee said.

"No problem, it's fine. I'll help you" Lucy said as she got up and helped Lee back to his feet and put his arm around her.

"I'll help too" Happy said as he flew on Lee's side and his other arm around him.

"Thanks guys" Lee said with a grateful smile.

"I think I will also stick around for a little while longer. Just to make sure that everybody is safe" Loke said.

"Are you sure about it Loke? Don't you need to need to rest?" Lucy said.

"Don't worry Lucy. I might be a little winded, but I think I'm still in a better condition than you guys. Now let's go to a safer place" Loke said with a smile. The others nodded in agreement and moved towards the thick forest.

**Author's note: ****Well, I guess it's been a while since I last updated this story. I've been kinda busy but now that I finally got some time I will have much faster uploads. The next chapter will probably come out this week. Until next time!**


	12. Hot headed battle: Wind and Fire

**Author's note:**** Hey everyone, the new chapter is out, enjoy! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 12**

Natsu and Naruto stood ready for their fight while Kenji had taken his battle stance as well.

"Ok then, here we go. Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto said as he formed a hand seal and created several shadow clones who appeared around them.

"Ooh, nice trick. I think that Kakashi also did something like that" Natsu said.

"Yeah, I know. But this jutsu is sort of my speciality" Naruto said with confidence.

"What kind of move is this? Is it some sort of cloning, or illusion technique? Is he planning to mix himself with the fakes and attack?" Kenji thought.

"Okay boys, get him!" Naruto said.

"Yeah, let's go" the shadow clones all said as they attacked.

"Huh? They are just attacking like that?" Kenji said surprised as all of the shadow clones attacked at the same time with a barrage of punches and kicks. "What's this? These guys aren't fake? They are not illusions, they are actually material, and pretty fast" he said as he started blocking and dodging the strikes. "Okay, enough!" he yelled angrily as he attacked and landed a number of swift blows, quickly defeating the shadow clones who started vanishing one by one in thin white smoke.

"Wow, great move" Natsu said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Hey, shut up! I was just trying to study him, okay?" Naruto said annoyed. "Okay now, let me think. This guy is pretty strong in close combat. He took out my shadow clones just like that. It's time to try a more tactical approach. Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto said as he formed a hand seal and once again created a number of shadow clones.

"This trick again? What is he up to this time?" Kenji said.

"Let's go!" Naruto said as he attacked along with his shadow cones who, this time, took a line formation next to each other. Two of the shadow clones leapt in the air and threw a number of shuriken, while two more of the shadow clones did the same thing in front of Kenji, who managed to block them. At the same time, about four more shadow clones moved around him and tried to attack him from behind, but Kenji was fast enough to evade them.

"So this time you are trying to combine your attacks, huh?" Kenji said as he blocked the strikes from two shadow clones at the same time. "Interesting, but it is not going to work" he continued as he suddenly charged his magical power and took out the two shadow clones in front of him with one hard blow. The rest of the shadow clones moved around him and attacked at the same time from different directions, but Kenji defeated them with ease. "Hey, where are you?" he said as he looked around trying to find Naruto.

"Here" Naruto yelled as he suddenly leapt from one of the nearby trees. Kenji quickly turned around, but Naruto was faster and managed to land a strong blow on his opponent's face. Kenji moved backwards from the force of the hit and Naruto continued his attack with a number of quick strikes, landing another strong blow to his opponent's face, a hard kick to his mid section and another one to his chin which sent him flying backwards. Kenji managed to land on his feet but Naruto was already on the move and created four more shadow clones, who moved around Kenji and attacked one by one.

"U-zu-ma-ki!" each of them said in succession as they one after another hit a quick kick which send him flying upwards, while Naruto, using one of his shadow clones to get a push, had leapt high in the air and was already above him.

"Naruto Rendan!" he said as he landed a hard axe kick, sending his opponent crashing on the ground. "I'm not done yet!" Naruto said with a grin as while he was still in mid air he created a large number of shadow clones who, along with the existing shadow clones, charged against Kenji, who was trying to get back on his feet, at the same time. As a result, as all of the shadow clones moved to strike at the same time, they all clashed against him and created a large pile on top of him, while Naruto landed on his feet.

"What kind of move is that?" Natsu said as he sweatdropped.

"He, heh, yeah I know that it's a little unusual. I didn't really plan this but it sure looks effective. At least he should be a little groggy after all that" Naruto said. Suddenly, a strong, golden light appeared under the pile of shadow clones which was quickly followed a strong explosion. As Naruto's shadow clones were pushed away from the force of the explosion and started disappearing in mid air or after hitting the ground, Kenji got back on his feet dusting his shirt.

"You have a pretty interesting way of fighting shorty" he said casually.

"Shorty?" Naruto said twitching his eyebrows.

"Heh, I've seen so many of you that I almost got tired of seeing you already" Kenji said.

"I'm just warming up" Naruto said with confidence.

"I see. Perhaps it's about time you get more serious then, because I sure will" Kenji said with a grin.

"Let's go then" Naruto said as he charged forward. "This guy is not just strong and fast. This explosion right now, it was something else. I better be more careful" the blond shinobi thought as he attacked. Kenji put his hand forward and started shooting a number of golden blasts which Naruto dodged by moving swiftly from side to side and attacked with a quick kick, which Kenji blocked with his arm, followed by a strong roundhouse kick which Kenji blocked as well. The blond mage then attacked with a swift combination of punches which Naruto blocked and dodged and then counter attacked with a number of strikes of his own. The shinobi and the mage fought a quick paced close fight for a while until Naruto managed to land a strong kick, while in mid air, on his opponent's side of head which caused him to step backwards a little dazed. Kenji however, recovered quickly and attacked again, landing a hard blow to Naruto's mid section, followed by a strong kick which sent him crashing on the side of the hill with a loud thud. Naruto gasped in pain but managed to move out of the way as Kenji attacked again and landed a powerful punch on the spot where Naruto was standing just moments ago, creating a big hole on the wall. Naruto reached for his pockets and threw some shuriken but Kenji charged his magical power again, blocked the shuriken with his one arm and shot a blast with his other arm which crashed on Naruto and sent him crashing on the ground. Kenji leapt towards Naruto in order to stomp on him, Naruto prepared to roll out of the way but suddenly Natsu jumped over him and landed a strong, fiery punch on Kenji while in mid air and sent him flying backwards.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Naruto said.

"I got bored of waiting and I rested enough, so I decided to join. Besides, I think we are even now" Natsu said simply.

"Salamander, I see you are back on your feet. I hope you have enough left to put up a decent fight" Kenji said with a grin as he rubbed his chin.

"You are about to find out" Natsu said as he dashed forward and attacked with a number of quick strikes which Kenji was able to block.

"You move better than before Salamander. But still not good enough" the blond mage said as he landed a hard punch on Natsu and send him flying backwards.

"I'm still here" Naruto said as he attacked as well and started exchanging swift blows with his opponent.

"Damn it, this guy is getting on my nerves" Natsu growled angrily as he got back on his feet and attacked again. Kenji noticed him, grabbed Naruto and tossed him with force on Natsu right before he attacked him, sending both of them crashing on each other and landing roughly on the ground.

"Get off me you idiot!" Natsu growled.

"Hey, it's your fault! You got in the way you knucklehead!" Naruto yelled.

"You guys really need to work on your teamwork. Don't expect to defeat me with clumsy attacks like that" Kenji laughed. Natsu growled angrily as he got up along with Naruto.

"Shut up! Nobody asked for your opinion!" he yelled.

"That's right! Stay out of this!" Naruto added angrily as well.

"They can't lay a punch without tripping on each other, but when it comes to yelling they are like the perfect team" Kenji thought as he sweat dropped.

"He's kinda right though. We need a plan" Naruto mumbled.

"Do you have anything in mind?" Natsu said silently.

"Maybe I do. I have a move that will probably work" Naruto said.

"Good. Does it take long to charge?" Natsu asked.

"Not really. I just need to get close enough to get him with it" Naruto responded.

"I see. Then I'll attack first. I'll keep him distracted and when you find an opening, hit him" Natsu said.

"My thoughts exactly! It seems that we are finally starting to work as a team" Naruto said with a grin.

"Let's show this guy what a shinobi and a mage can do together" Natsu said with a grin as well.

"They look more confident this time. Have they actually thought of something? Well, in that case" Kenji thought as he got ready for another attack. "Take this. Magic Blast Volley!" he said as he formed two golden spheres in his hands and shot a barrage of blasts towards Natsu and Naruto. The mage and the shinobi prepared to dodge as the barrage of blasts crashed around them, covering the spot that they were standing in dust. Kenji waited for the dust to clear until Natsu suddenly charged forward from the cloud of dust with great speed.

"Karyu no Tekken!" he yelled as he surrounded his fist in bright flames and attacked with a strong punch, which Kenji managed to block with his arm. "Karyu no Kagitsume!" Natsu yelled as he surrounded his leg in bright flames and swung it around swiftly. Kenji was once again barely able to block the attack. The two mages then started exchanging swift blows until Natsu managed to land a strong punch to his opponent's face, causing him to step backwards, but Kenji quickly attacked with a strong strike of his own, sending Natsu flying backwards. Kenji turned around as Naruto attacked with a number of quick strikes.

"Why would he attack so recklessly? What kind of plan is that?" Kenji thought confused as he blocked Naruto's attacks and landed a hard kick. Naruto was sent flying high in the air but he vanished in white smoke while still in mid air. "What?! That was a fake? Then where's the real one?" Kenji said surprised as he looked around until he saw Naruto dashing towards him with great speed, holding a blue sphere in his hand.

"Rasengan!" Naruto yelled as he drove the sphere to his opponent's mid section, sending him crashing against the wall on the side of the hill.

"Nice move!" Natsu said as he got back on his feet and moved towards Naruto.

"Thanks! You're pretty good too. I think we got him this time" Naruto said as he watched the spot where Kenji had crashed, waiting for the dust to settle.

"Not so fast" Kenji said. Natsu and Naruto watched as the dust settled and noticed Kenji slowly getting back on his feet, his shirt having a circle shaped hole in the front. "That was some move. But I won't stay down, not so easy. This is a good fight" he said panting.

"This guy is really tough" Naruto said with some surprise.

"I figured he would get up somehow" Natsu said with a sigh.

"He took some pretty good damage though, he already looks like he can barely stand. This fight should not last much longer. Let's finish it" Naruto said. The two of them attacked at the same time with swift blows that Kenji had a hard time blocking but managed to push both of them away with the force of his magic.

"You guys seem to be in a hurry. Take it easy for a moment, you wouldn't want to end the fun that fast, would you?" Kenji said.

"You might be right, this is a good fight. But you don't seem like you can keep this up much longer" Natsu said seriously.

"Wrong again, Salamander. First of all, I'm in a better condition than you were before shorty here arrived. Second, forests can be really amazing places, especially if you know them well. They are calm, relaxing, and sometimes, sometimes they can have some really interesting herbs. Herbs that if you know where to find and how to mix, can have some pretty interesting results" Kenji said as he took something from his pocket.

"What does he have there?" Naruto said alerted. Kenji smiled and opened his hand briefly, showing a small, brown colored bean, before he quickly put it to his mouth and ate it.

"Like creating some energy pills that can help you recover quicker from your wounds and restore part of your energy. Don't worry, they are not magical pills that will instantly recover my energy, but it should be enough to let me fight a little longer" Kenji said with a grin.

"Great. Any other plans?" Naruto said with a snort.

"Yeah. Beat this bastard up for good!" Natsu said angrily.

"Kinda simple, but sounds like a plan" Naruto said.

"Good! Come on then" Kenji said. Natsu dashed forward, followed by Naruto, and attacked with a fiery punch. Kenji dodged the attack but Naruto came with a follow up attack and landed a swift kick on his opponent. Kenji stepped backwards from the force of the strike and Naruto used his momentum to land another strong kick that send him flying in the air. Natsu leapt towards him and landed a powerful hammer like punch, sending him crashing on the ground while he landed on his feet. Kenji however, got back on his feet quickly and attacked with a swift spinning kick that both Natsu and Naruto managed to dodge. The blond mage then continued his attack and shot a golden blast that crashed on Naruto and sent him to the ground, and quickly turned towards Natsu, attacking with a glowing fist which the pink haired mage evaded and counter attacked by grabbing his opponent's wrist and using his momentum to jump and land a strong spinning kick to the side of his head while still in mid air. The blond mage however, managed to land another kick on Natsu's midsection while still in mid air, resulting in both of the mages landing on the ground, but both of them got up pretty quickly. Naruto then quickly attacked with a swift punch, followed by a hard round house kick which sent Kenji skidding backwards, Natsu continued the attack and landed a strong dropkick that sent Kenji crashing on the ground.

"Karyu no Yokugeki!" Natsu said as he attacked with his arms surrounded in flames and Kenji dodged by quickly leaping out of the way, causing the flames to crash on the ground. "Karyu no Koen!" Natsu said as he shot a large fireball.

"Light Grenade!" Kenji said as he shot a golden sphere that collided with the flames, creating a strong explosion.

"Rasengan!" Naruto said as he attacked again with a blue sphere.

"Not this time" Kenji said as he formed a golden sphere and collided it with Naruto's attack which caused both of them to get pushed backwards.

"Damn it, we need another big move. Wait a minute" Naruto thought. "Hey, I have an idea how to finish this. Prepare another long ranged attack" he said as he turned towards Natsu.

"Another long ranged attack? Oh, I get it. Fine then, how about this. Karyu no Hoko!" Natsu said as he shot a blast of bright flames.

"Good, let's see now how that works. Fuuton, Rasengan!" Naruto said as he shot a small, white, wind sphere. The two moves met in mid way, creating a powerful fire vortex as Naruto's wind attack caused Natsu's flames to spin around and burn even more intensely and crashed on Kenji, creating a large flaming, tornado like explosion. After the explosion Kenji fell on the ground motionless, lying on his back.

"Those guys are good. This may leave a mark" he mumbled.

"That's it! That got him" Naruto said.

"What a crazy move. That last attack of yours, it was a wind type move, right?" Natsu said as both of them sat down.

"Yeah, it was. I have wind natured chakra" Naruto said proudly.

"I see. Good thinking" Natsu said simply.

"He, heh. Thanks" Naruto said with a smile.

"What took you so long to think about it?" Natsu said with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, how come you didn't think about it?" Naruto said slightly annoyed.

"I didn't know you can use wind" Natsu said.

"Oh, right. Oh, well. At least we won" Naruto said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess you are right" Natsu agreed. The two of them then got up and moved towards Kenji who was still lying on the ground.

"You guys make a pretty good team" he said with a grin.

"Yeah, I suppose it takes us a while to get used to working together" Naruto said.

"You are not going to get up again, are you?" Natsu said.

"Not really. I told you already, that was a one-time trick" Kenji said.

"And you don't have any more of those energy pills of yours?" Natsu said again, still a little uncertain.

"No, they are not that easy to make. And I'm not sure how much they would help now. I might be able to get up, but I doubt if I would be able to fight. Besides, if I was to fight you again, I would prefer to do it when you would be at full power. You can barely stand right now" Kenji said.

"You are the one to talk" Natsu said, with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Well yeah, you got a point there" Kenji said lightly.

"I don't really get it, you don't look like such a bad guy. Why would you join a dark guild?" Natsu said with wonder.

"Heh, it's a long story but not a very interesting one. In a few words, I've been alone, wondering around the country without any particular reason for almost as long as I remember myself, until I found Master Sid, or actually he found me. And, well, Master Sid has his way with words. He said something about giving my life a purpose and helping me unlock my full potential. He can be pretty persuasive, all he did was talk and before I knew it I followed him. Black Wing isn't a very old guild, we worked in the shadows for a while and then we quickly made an impact, drawing the attention of official guilds like yours, as well as the attention of other dark guilds. I think Master Brain was actually an acquaintance of Master Sid, we worked with Oracion Seis once before and they seemed to know each other" Kenji said thoughtfully.

"I see. What kind of guy is this Master Sid?" Natsu said. Kenji shook his head with a small smile.

"I think you should be more worried about your friends right now, Salamander. You managed things somehow here, but your friends might not be so lucky. And if things are the way the way I think they are, then I should also be worried" Kenji said with a serious tone.

"What do you mean?" Natsu said tensed.

"I have a feeling that Master Sid won't rely just on the Black Crows for this fight. I think he's also going to use him" Kenji said as he slightly winced in pain.

"Who? Who is he going to use?" Natsu asked now vividly worried.

"That bastard, Sigmund. He's not officially part of the guild, if dark guilds have actually official members, but Master Sid has used him before. And I think I know exactly where he'll go. Jinrei is probably close, so I think we would notice if he was here. He won't head out for Arkana either, I'm almost sure that he will head for Honoko. And Honoko wanted to fight Erza Scarlet" Kenji said.

"So you're telling me that Erza is in danger? That she's gonna end up fighting two opponents at the same time?" Natsu yelled, as he grabbed Kenji by the collar of his shirt.

"No, Salamander. I know Honoko better than anyone, perhaps even better that she knows herself. She's the best of us! Despite her attitude, she has a heart of gold. She wants to defeat Scarlet to prove her strength, but she admires her, so I doubt if she will actually try to hurt her. Even if Scarlet wins the fight and Honoko's seal is activated, I doubt if your friend will be in danger. What I'm trying to say Salamander, is that both Honoko and Scarlet will be in trouble if Sigmund gets there. Do you understand? I'm saying that both our friends are probably in danger!" Kenji yelled back.

"Then we must go and help them!" Natsu said intensely as he tried to ran, but fell on his knees.

"I don't think that we can help anyone right now the way we are" Kenji mumbled, as he fell back on the ground. Natsu clenched his fists angrily, as he felt despair filling him but Naruto patted him on the back encouragingly.

"Don't worry, Natsu! Remember what I told you? I didn't come here alone, we put up a whole team for this mission" he said with a cheerful smile.

"What? Wait, that's right, I nearly forgot about it! You said that others have come here with you too" Natsu said, as he sighed in relief.

"Exactly! I'm sure that your friend will be just fine" Naruto said with a reassuring tone.

"You sound pretty sure. Sigmund is not easy to easy to deal with. He's really strong, probably stronger than me, and he's completely ruthless" Kenji said.

"He's really strong, huh? So are my teammates. Natsu's friend is definitely going to be fine. Especially, if he goes there" Naruto said with confidence.

"What do you mean? Who are you talking about?" the pink haired mage said.

"The one who's in charge of this mission. I'm talking about a certain Juken specialist" Naruto said with a grin.

"Is that guy really that good?" Natsu said with his spirits lifted.

"Sure he is! He's one of the strongest guys I've ever fought, actually he nearly defeated me when we last fought. And he's the only one in our team who's at the same rank as Kakashi-sensei" Naruto said.

"Hey, that's pretty cool! He must be quite a guy" Natsu said.

"Yeah, and he's not the only one. There's no way this team will not succeed" Naruto said.

* * *

><p><em>FLASHBACK<em>

Naruto, Neji, Lee and Sasuke were making their way swiftly through the forest, leaping from tree to tree.

"Naruto, are we going the right way?" Neji said.

"Yeah, and it's not very far either. We should be there soon" Naruto said.

"Good. Let's move it then" Neji said as they increased their pace even more.

"So, you're a jonin now, huh? You have certainly come a long way since the chuunin exams where you kept asking my name" Sasuke said with a smirk. Neji narrowed his eyes.

"Everybody, stop!" he said suddenly as he stopped on a branch of a tall tree, the others stopped at nearby trees. "Yeah, I became a jonin. It happened around the same time that you were strolling around with Orochimaru" Neji said as he turned towards Sasuke and stared at him.

"Maybe I didn't get any ranks, but I got much stronger nonetheless" Sasuke said as he stared back.

"Of course you did. Because you couldn't train like the rest of us did, you needed special training from a personal instructor, who just happens to be the one who attacked the village. And I guess that you got so used to being Orochimaru's favorite and getting things done your way, that you forgot something small called teamwork, which is actually essential for a good team to function" Neji said as he folded his arms.

"What do you think that I was doing with Orochimaru, being on vacation? I've trained much harder than you can imagine. Do you really think that just because you're a jonin you are stronger than me? How about we put that to the test? Let's test those eyes of yours against mine" Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Calm down you two! We cannot fight among ourselves. If both of you have something to prove, then do it when we get back to the village. But now we have a mission, and an important one!" Lee said.

"Fuzzy brows is right! Enough already, cut it out both of you!" Naruto said angrily.

"I know that you have grown stronger Sasuke, and I know that your Sharingan has a wider range, that it helps you with taijutsu, ninjutsu and especially genjutsu, and it can even get an upgrade. But do not underestimate me, and do not underestimate the power of the Byakugan! You know, it's a little funny that you still have this kind of attitude. The first time that I teamed up with Naruto was to bring you back to the village. We all put our lives at risk and even Lee came along to help, even though he hadn't recovered completely, but you walked away anyway" Neji said with a glare. Sasuke didn't answer.

"Neji, that was a long time ago. We need to move on from this one. We cannot keep thinking of the past" Lee said calmly.

"That's right. I've put that behind me. I still haven't forgotten, but I'm trying to move on. I think we all need to. It's about time we start acting like comrades again" Naruto said seriously. Neji looked at everyone with a thoughtful expression and sighed.

"I guess you have a point. To think that the so called dropouts would lecture on us, the supposed to be geniuses. Sometimes I wonder if we are using that word correctly" Neji said with a lighter tone. Both Naruto and Lee laughed and even Sasuke smiled.

"He, heh! Well, we do have our moments" Naruto said with a goofy smile as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm not really sure why the Hokage put you on this mission, but I'm not the one to question her decision. All I know is that she believes in you, your team believes in you, your sensei believes in you and most importantly, Naruto believes in you. I trust Naruto and therefore I trust you. And perhaps it's not only Naruto and the others, but I too want to believe that you have changed, that you still remember what it means to fight with comrades and care about them" Neji said seriously.

"Hmph! Village, comrades. What does it mean to be part of a village? What does it mean to have friends? Perhaps, I never knew the answer to these questions in the first place. But maybe, I will finally know the meaning to all this, this time. I don't really feel like a shinobi of Konoha yet, I feel like there's still something that holds me, but I will tell you this. I am with you on this mission" Sasuke said determined.

"I suppose this will do" Neji said with a hint of satisfaction as he turned around. "Let's move out. And, welcome back, Sasuke" he said with a small smile. Sasuke nodded his head with a smile as well.

"Okay! Let's go then with the power of youth!" Lee said with his usual passion and excitement as he pumped his fists.

"He, heh! That's more like it" Naruto said with a grin. The group of the shinobi resumed their way with even greater speed than before, feeling more like a team than ever.

"Naruto-kun, you think these two will be fine, right? We are going to make it" Lee said with some uncertainty.

"Of course they'll be fine! They just needed to get it out of their systems, you know how stubborn they can be sometimes. There's no way this team will fail. Absolutely no way!" Naruto said with confidence. A small wind blew above them as the shinobi made their way through the thick forest and a few green leaves flew above them, forming a small circle as the wind blew them away.

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

><p>"There's no way this team will fail. And if your friends are as strong as you and fight with the same spirit, we will surely succeed! Everything will be just fine" Naruto said with a wide smile as he turned towards Natsu.<p>

"Heh, you're right. We are Fairy Tail after all" Natsu said with a grin. Kenji smiled as well.

* * *

><p>Deeper inside the forest, Neji was facing his own opponent. He took a look at Erza and then Honoko, before he turned towards Sigmund.<p>

"This girl is your comrade, right? And yet you were about to strike her" Neji said.

"She is no longer my comrade. She didn't follow her orders, she helped her enemy and she turned against me and her guild. She's just another enemy that must be destroyed" Sigmund said, coldly.

"She is more than a friend than you ever were! I will not let you touch her!" Honoko said, determined.

"And I will not let you harm her. Fairy Tail does not turn its back on those who need our help" Erza said, in the same tone.

"Then you will all be destroyed. Including you shinobi, if you get in my way" Sigmund responded, simply.

"This guy is ready to strike his comrade because she disobeyed her orders, like it would happen in most of the shinobi villages. And yet these two, even though they fought each other, they now stand together, as friends. This is most unusual" Neji thought with some surprise as he looked at Erza and Honoko. A strange warmth rose from inside him, a kind of warmth similar to the one he felt when he watched his teammates and his friends. He felt his resolve becoming stronger.

"Your opponent is me! And trust me when I tell you, I will win this battle!" he said with determination and confidence, as he stepped towards him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, shinobi" Sigmund said with a grin.

"This will be interesting" Neji said with a small smile, as he took his fighting stance and got ready.

**Author's note: ****And that's a wrap. I hope you liked this team up between the two main characters. I got a couple of questions in the previous chapter, about why didn't Lee have his weights. Actually, I've thought about it too, but if you think about it we never actually saw him having the weights in the second part. Maybe he doesn't use them anymore, or he has grown stronger and doesn't really need them. Perhaps that's the reason, an example that shows how stronger he has got is that he can use the Front Lotus without knocking himself out or taking too much damage like in the first part. Anyway, the next chapter will also come out quickly. See you next time!**


	13. Soaring Eagle

**Author's note:**** New update! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 13**

Erza sat up and leaned against one of the nearby trees as Neji stood ready for his fight.

"This guy, there's something about him. He doesn't seem to be wearing any armor, but he did shatter my chain with one move. Maybe it has something to do with these strange eyes of his. I should better be careful. This should be interesting though" Sigmund thought as he was surrounded by a dark aura.

"This dark aura doesn't look good. And normally, this armor shouldn't be a problem for my Juken, but I got a feeling that this is no regular armor. I have to be cautious, this is a different world and this magic that they are using seems to work very differently from our inner chakra pathway system. It looks like it comes from inside them, as well as from the nature around us. But even if they don't use their inner chakra pathway system, I should be able to do some internal damage with my Juken" Neji thought carefully as he tried to study his opponent.

Erza kept watching until she heard a familiar voice next to her.

"Erza, are you okay?" the voice said. Erza turned around and saw Honoko, who had moved next to her and watched her with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine, Honoko. Just a little tired. How about you? That blast that you took seemed pretty nasty" Erza said.

"I'll survive, it's not as bad as it looked. Here, take this" Honoko said, as she reached for her belt and took out a brown colored bean.

"What's this?" Erza said curiously.

"It's an energy pill. Kenji makes them from some herbs that he has found around the forest and he gave me one, in case I need it. It's gonna help you recover faster, although not completely, so take it" Honoko explained

"Thanks, that's very kind of you. But I can't take it, it's yours. And you also seem to need it, perhaps even more than me" Erza said kindly.

"That's okay, don't worry about me. I'll be fine as long as you are fine, Erza" Honoko responded, with a wide smile. Erza looked at her for a moment, touched by her kindness, before she smiled.

"Here, we'll share it. And I don't want to hear a word, otherwise I'll just throw it away, okay?" Erza said, as Honoko was about to protest again.

"Fine, just bring it here" she signed in defeat. "But we still have a problem here" she continued.

"I guess. I didn't know that Sigmund the Vanguard was in your guild" Erza said still a little surprised.

"Well, you could say that, even though he's hardly ever around. He is not part of the Black Crows either, but Master Sid has used him more than once before. He is even stronger than Kenji or Arkana, although not by far, but as you've seen, he is completely cold and ruthless. He has a high level of magic, and he is a skilled swordsman, but what makes him even worse is his equipment" Honoko said seriously.

"His equipment?" Erza said confused.

"Yes. His sword has magic as well, and he can use his own magical power to amplify its destructive power. Also, his armor gives him great resistance against both physical and magical attacks. I think it gives him some offensive abilities as well, but I'm not exactly sure what kind of abilities" Honoko said, thoughtfully.

"I see. Then I should better get ready then. I trust Kakashi's friend, but I should better be ready to help, just in case" Erza said.

"I'm with you, Erza" Honoko said determined, as she put her hand on Erza's arm. Erza nodded with a smile.

"For the moment, let's wait and see what happens" she said. Neji remained focused on his opponent, but was able to hear most of the conversation.

"So, it seems I was right about this armor. This intel should help" he thought. "Here it goes. Byakugan!" Neji said as the nerves around his eyes tensed, activating his Byakugan.

"His eyes changed. Heh, no matter" Sigmund thought as he grabbed his sword more firmly. "Here I come, shinobi" he yelled as he charged forward with great speed. Sigmund raised his greatsword with one hand and brought it down with great force against Neji, who dodged by moving sideways, causing the sword to crash on the ground. Sigmund lifted his greatsword and continued his attack with a number of swift strikes, which Neji dodged again and managed to block the last strike by hitting the flat of the blade with his open palm, pushing it away. Neji then used this opening and landed a number of swift, well measured strikes before pushing his opponent away with a palm strike. Sigmund was sent skidding backwards, surprised by the force of the strike.

"What's this? His strikes were fast and accurate, but not strong enough to push me away like that. And I shouldn't be feeling them at all, yet for some reason I feel kinda numb. What's the deal with that guy?" Sigmund thought surprised as he tried to move his arms. He wasn't the only one who seemed concerned though.

"I didn't have the time to hit my sixty four strikes, but I did hit some of his vitals. He should have some trouble breathing and yet he is still standing. This armor must have protected him. My Juken is still working, but it's not as effective as it should be. And he is fast, faster than I thought he would be. This is gonna be troublesome" Neji thought.

"You seem to be pretty good in close combat, shinobi. Perhaps I should try something different" Sigmund said as he summoned a long chain.

"I see. His armor must also give him some abilities similar to requip magic, like the ability to summon weapons" Nina said.

"This guy sure knows how to attack in quite different ways" Erza said.

"Take this" Sigmund said as he swung the chain towards Neji who dodged it by ducking. Sigmund attacked again by bringing the long chain down against Neji who moved out of the way, resulting in the chain crushing on the spot where he was standing. As the chain remained on the ground, Neji dashed forward to get within striking distance. Sigmund however, made a swift swing with his sword, creating a small wave of dust with the force of the swing which caught Neji by surprise and momentarily staggered him, and used this opening to move his chain and wrap it around Neji. "Hah, I got you now" he said as Neji struggled against the heavy chains.

"This doesn't look good" Nina said worried.

"Damn it. I still feel too weak to move" Erza said.

"Stay still now and I'll finish this quickly" Sigmund said as he raised his sword.

"Do you really think that you won already?" Neji said calmly.

"What are you talking about? I got you, what can you possibly do now?" Sigmund said a little surprised. Neji didn't answer, instead he seemed to focus. Sigmund's eyes shot wide open in surprise as he saw Neji momentarily being surrounded by a blue aura before the heavy chain was pushed away with great force and shattered completely, leaving Sigmund holding the end of a broken chain with a shocked expression on his face.

"Do not underestimate the power of the Hyuga!" Neji said with a strong voice.

"What just happened?" Nina said with surprise.

"I think that he used some sort of force wave to destroy the chains. I guess I should expect something like that from Kakashi's comrades" Erza said with a smile.

"Interesting. But, I'm not done yet" Sigmund said as he raised his hand. Suddenly, a large number of weapons, including swords, axes and spears, started appearing above Neji. " Heh, no way out! Let's see how you get out of this one" he said with a smirk.

"Come on then" Neji said simply as he took his battle stance. Sigmund grinded his teeth angrily.

"Why is he so calm? He is surrounded by a bunch of weapons, all of them aiming at him. And yet, he is standing there calm, like none of them can touch him. Is he going to do the same trick again?" he thought. "You look pretty confident. Let's see if you can back this up" the armored mage said as he put his hand down and the weapons started flying towards Neji.

"Watch out!" Nina yelled.

"Hakkesho Kaiten!" Neji said as he started spinning at a high speed while unleashing his chakra, creating a large, light blue dome which the weapons simply bounced on and scattered around him. Neji kept spinning until he blocked all of the weapons, and when he stopped the ground looked like a small crater around him, while the weapons were lying all around the place, most of them broken and some of them simply lying around.

"Impossible! How can this be?" Sigmund said shocked.

"He just blocked all of the weapons by creating some sort of force field! How did he do that?" Nina said surprised. Erza didn't answer at once, instead she seemed to be thinking with an observing look on her face.

"Kakashi has mentioned that the shinobi of his world utilize their chakra for their fighting techniques. He also said that there are different styles of fighting and that there are shinobi clans within the villages that specialize in a specific way of fighting. I guess this guy can use his chakra in a way to enhance his already impressive hand to hand combat skills, as well as for more explosive ways of either attack or defense like we saw earlier. He truly is a powerful shinobi and I think I can see now how he is at the same rank as Kakashi. Plus, I'm sure that his eyes must have some sort of power, much like Kakashi's Sharingan. Or perhaps, that's part of the reason that he fights like that" Erza said with smile.

"Oh, I see. Maybe he can win this fight after all" Nina said with her spirits lifted.

"Perhaps. It's too soon to tell, but he does have a good chance" Erza said thoughtfully. Neji and Sigmund stared each other seriously for a while.

"So, I'm not really sure how, but I guess physical objects seem to have no effect on you. At least not from a distance, not while you still have time to prepare your defense. And I got to say, I'm really impressed so far. But unfortunately for you, magic has many forms, and I still have a couple of moves. And something tells me that you might not be able to block this one" Sigmund said as he formed a large, purple sphere and shot it against Neji. The blast crushed against the spot where Neji was standing with great force, creating a small explosion and covering the spot in dust. Erza and Nina tried to cover from the force of the explosion and the dust that covered them. "Let's see what will you do now. Come on, I know that this is not enough to defeat you" Sigmund thought as he watched closely at the spot still covered in dust, waiting for any sense of movement. Suddenly, a kunai was thrown with great force from the cloud of dust, which Sigmund easily blocked with his sword without even blinking. Neji dashed from the cloud of dust at a great speed, having obviously dodged the blast, he picked one of the still intact swords that were still lying on the ground and attacked, engaging his opponent in a quick paced swordfight as he skillfully maneuvered the sword.

"So you are using one of the swords that I summoned earlier. Smart move, but also dump at the same time. You see, no matter how well made those blades are, none of them can be compared with my greatsword" Sigmund said as he smashed the sword that Neji had picked with one hard strike from one hard strike from his own sword. Sigmund then continued his attack as he raised his sword and brought it down with force. Neji however, using his own great speed and dexterity, as well as the precision and the increased chakra control of the Byakugan, managed to block the sword with his bare hands, catching the blade between his palms. Sigmund's eyes shot wide open in surprise, but he quickly recovered and tried to overpower Neji, who struggled to keep the blade steady.

"How long do you think you can keep this up, shinobi?" Sigmund said with a smirk.

"You're right. You seem to be having the advantage in this power play. If we continue this, it's not going to look good for me. In that case, how about this" Neji said as he suddenly unleashed a blast of chakra that knocked his opponent of his feet. Neji then used his momentum and hit his opponent's hand, knocking his sword away. The armored mage however, attacked quickly and landed a strong blow on Neji's face, followed by another swift blow to his mid section.

"Don't think you've won just because you knocked my blade away. I can fight pretty well even without it" Sigmund yelled as he attacked again with another strong blow, followed by a hard kick, which sent Neji flying backwards. Sigmund continued his attack with another strong blow, but Neji was ready this time and managed to block the next strike.

"You have strong fists, and you sure know how to use them. But when it comes to hand to hand combat, no one stands a chance against the Hyuga. Shotei!" Neji said as he landed a strike with his open palm to his opponent's chest which seemed to temporarily paralyze him. Neji then took a different battle stance and got ready to strike. "I'll finish you with this! Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!" he said as he attacked again. "Two Strikes! Four Strikes! Eight Strikes! Sixteen Strikes! Thirty two Strikes! Sixty four Strikes!" Neji said as he unleashed a barrage of swift, powerful strikes that kept rising in speed and force, each of them knocking Sigmund backwards until Neji hit his opponent with another powerful blast from his open palm that sent him flying backwards and sent him crashing on one of the nearby trees.

"Did he do it? Did he actually win?" Honoko said, with a tone of surprise and enthusiasm.

"This move. The speed of the strikes was so great that I could barely see them" Erza said impressed. Neji kept his attention to the spot where Sigmund had landed, waiting for the dust to settle.

"All of my strikes had a clear shot. Normally, this fight would be over. But I got a feeling that it won't be that easy" he thought. The dust settled after a while and Neji saw Sigmund lying on the ground. The shinobi kept his guard up as Sigmund suddenly stirred and got up slowly, coughing and panting.

"It seems I got careless" he said with a smirk.

"I knew it. His armor must have protected him from my attack. Still, it looks like managed to do some good damage. If I hit him with this one more time, this fight should be over" he thought.

"Nice move. I guess I might have underestimated you, shinobi. You are faster than I thought. But, I won't make this mistake again" Sigmund said panting as he got up, raised his hand, causing his sword to fly towards him and he grabbed it in the air. "This fight is far from over yet! Great Whirlwind!" he said as he charged forward and started spinning swiftly like a twister while still in mid air, swinging his sword around.

"Hakkesho Kaiten!" Neji said as he started spinning around swiftly as well while unleashing a great amount of chakra, creating a light blue dome. The two powerful, spinning attacks collided with great force, creating sparks at the place where they collided until there was a loud explosion that sent both of them skidding backwards.

"Purple Sphere!" Sigmund said as he shot a large, dark purple blast.

"Hakke Kusho!" Neji said as he shot a powerful, high pressured wind blast. The two attacks collided once again with great force, creating another explosion as small, purple colored sparks started falling all over the ground, but both the shinobi and the mage stood still.

"This guy is strong. He attacks both at a short range and from a distance, he is tough and resilient, and he moves fast despite his armor and this heavy sword. I haven't fought an opponent as strong as him in a while" Neji thought as he was slightly panting.

"Both of them look tired" Honoko noticed, as she watched the battle.

"It seems that what I've heard is not very far from true. Sigmund the Vanguard is indeed strong" Erza said thoughtfully.

"The next one is a special move. You won't be able to block this one, or escape it. This, I guarantee it to you" Sigmund said with an evil smirk as he was surrounded by a dark aura and stretched forward his hand that wielded the sword. His blade started glowing a dark purple light as he began to spin it slowly. As the blade formed a circle, several other glowing blades started appearing at some of the points where Sigmund's sword had passed, forming a perfect circle and returning to the spot where it started. "You are finished now! Seal of the Sword! Wheel of Flying Blades!" Sigmund said as he suddenly pointed with his sword against Neji. The glowing blades pointed towards him as well and flew against him at a great speed. Neji tried to dodge as the blades started crashing around him, exploding as they hit the ground, but some of the blades found their target and crashed against him with force.

"Oh no! Not this move!" Honoko said in despair, as she clenched her fists.

"Neji, are you okay?" Erza yelled worried as Neji fell on his one knee panting.

"This is one of my strongest moves. Still, you did manage to dodge most of the blades" Sigmund said with a hint of surprise. "If I did it again, he wouldn't be able to dodge that many of them. The thing is, I don't think I have enough magic for this move again. That attack of his earlier really did some serious damage. If it wasn't for my special armor, I don't think I would be able to move anymore" he thought.

"That was indeed, a strong move. But I won't go down that easy, not a chance" Neji said with determination as he slowly got back on his feet and took his battle stance.

"You really are a stubborn one" Sigmund said as he got ready for his next move. Suddenly, a large fireball flew against Sigmund, who was taken by surprise and was barely able to block it.

"You again!" he yelled angrily as he saw Honoko standing on her feet.

"I still owe you for that sneak attack from before" she said with a smile.

"What are you doing?" Neji said, as Erza stepped in front of him.

"We'll take it from here" she said.

"I don't need any help. And you, should be resting" Neji said with annoyance.

"I know that you don't need any help. But both Honoko and I, have a score to settle with this guy" Erza responded, simply.

"It's my mission to defeat this guy" Neji pointed out.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that your mission was to help us, not necessarily to defeat this guy, right?" Erza said with a small smile. Neji narrowed his eyes, as he thought about it for a moment.

"If you put it that way, fine then. I just hope that you know what you are doing" he said simply as he deactivated his Byakugan but still kept his guard up as Erza moved next to Honoko.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"I can't wait!" Honoko responded smiling, and with a tone of excitement.

"So you are really going to fight me!" Sigmund said.

"Why do you sound so shocked? I thought you wanted a fight with me" Erza said.

"Hmph, you were the target in the first place. And it seems like I'm being underestimated. Fine then, you're actually making this easier. I'll just finish you off quickly" Sigmund said with an evil smirk.

"Don't count on it! Fire Make, Full Armor!" Honoko yelled, as she was surrounded in flames and her bright orange and black gauntlets and boots appeared, but this time a light red and orange armor appeared as well.

"Requip! Fire Empress Armor!" Erza said as she requiped to her fire armor.

"Oh, I see that you are using my favorite armor" Honoko commented, smiling.

"Really? I thought that your favorite armor was my Flight Armor. You remember it, don't you?" Erza said, with a teasing smile.

"Oh yeah, I remember this one" Honoko said, with a heavy blush that seemed to match her armor.

"Are you done with your small chat there? Because if you are not going to make the first move, then I will. Purple Sphere!" Sigmund said as he shot a large, dark purple sphere.

"Watch out!" Erza said as both of them jumped dodged the blast by jumping towards different directions, as the blast crushed between them.

"You jerk! Fire Make, Chakram!" Honoko yelled as two large, round blades appeared in her hands. She then dashed against Sigmund and attacked with swift strikes.

"What's the matter? You're not that fast after all, are you?" Honoko said with a mocking tone, as Sigmund had some trouble blocking the strikes.

"Don't get full of yourself, brat!" the armored mage said, as he pushed her with a strong swing of his sword. Erza quickly attacked and it was her turn to a quick paced battle as their blades clashed, but Sigmund was able to push her away, as well.

"Let's turn up the heat!" Honoko said, as she threw a large fireball and Erza shot a blast of flames. Sigmund tried to cover himself from the combined fire attack and after some struggle, he managed to push the flames away with a strong swing from his greatsword.

"He's still strong, but he looks like he is getting tired" Erza thought.

"Take this!" Honoko said, as she surrounded her blades with flames and threw them against Sigmund, who blocked them with his sword.

"Is that all you got?" he said with a smirk, but Honoko had already jumped high in the air. Sigmund looked at her with surprise as Honoko had created a very large bow, with an equally large arrow that looked almost like a lance in size. She then pulled the string of the bow with both hands, and stretched the bow the bow with her legs, aiming at Sigmund while still in mid air.

"Fire Make, Super Arrow!" she said, as she fired the large arrow which crashed against Sigmund with great speed and force. Sigmund was barely able to dodge but the force of the attack sent him skidding backwards.

"Impressive! If this move had hit him directly, this fight might be over. This girl may be more skilled than I thought" Neji thought as he watched the battle.

"Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Erza said as she requiped in a silver white armor, with a long, white skirt, an armored plate that left her belly bare and silver, wing like plates on her back. She then summoned a number of swords around her and two on her hands, and prepared to strike.

"This doesn't look good" Sigmund said.

"Blumenblatt!" Erza said as she dashed forward and struck her opponent with both of her blades, as the blades around her followed after her and landed on their target with force, causing even greater damage.

"Gah! How can this be?" Sigmund groaned as he fell, face first on the ground.

"We did it! We won!" Honoko yelled, excited. Erza sighed in relief and requiped to her regular armor as she moved away from her opponent. Honoko ran towards her and hugged her tightly, tackling her to the ground.

"You did it Erza! You are amazing!" she said happily.

"We both did it! You are pretty good too" Erza responded, with a smile.

"He, heh! Well, if you say so. I guess we make a pretty good team!" Honoko said with a smile too, and a slight blush, as she broke the hug, got back on her feet and helped Erza get up. "Um, sorry about that" she said, shyly.

"It's fine" Erza said lightly.

"I see. So this is how the Fairy Tail mages fight. Erza Scarlet, you really are amazing. But, what is more amazing, is something I never thought I would see. A friendship, blossoming in the battlefield between enemies. What a strange world. Still, why do I have this funny feeling?" Neji thought as he turned towards the spot where Sigmund was lying. Suddenly, a large green colored seal appeared under Sigmund, who was then surrounded with a strong light.

"What's going on? Not this thing again!" Erza said as they turned towards the place that the seal appeared.

"Oh no! I was afraid that this was going to happen! Sigmund is not a part of the Black Crows, but apparently Master Sid has also given him the Seal of Regeneration" Honoko said. The large seal soon disappeared and Sigmund got back on his feet slowly.

"The seal activated? How annoying! To think that I would be defeated here" he said slowly as he turned towards them with a dark expression on his face. "But that's enough! This time, I'll finish you off for good!" he said as he shot a large, dark purple sphere.

"What's this? This attack is much stronger than the previous ones" Erza thought as she got ready for the attack, but suddenly, Honoko got in front of her.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" Erza yelled.

"I'll protect you Erza! Fire Make, Great Shield!" Honoko yelled, as a large, orange and black, heavy shield appeared in front of them. The powerful blast collided with the heavy shield with great force. The shield after a while began to crack and shattered, the blast crushed on Honoko, who fell on Erza and both of them were sent flying backwards.

"Honoko, are you okay?" Erza said panting, worry evident on her voice.

"I'm fine Erza, don't worry about me" Honoko said, weakly.

"You fool! Why did you do that?" Erza said, with a choked voice.

"I had to protect you, Erza. You showed me what friendship means. You saved me from my loneliness, so now I saved you. I mean, we are friends, aren't we?" Honoko said with a weak smile.

"Of course we are, silly!" Erza mumbled, as she hugged her with a smile. Her attention however, was soon drawn to Sigmund who was walking towards them slowly.

"You survived this one, but you are sitting ducks now. You won't escape the next blast" he said coldly, as he raised his hand but suddenly, Neji stepped between them, his face almost cold with rage.

"This strange chill. It's coming, from him?" Erza said looking at Neji as she slightly shuddered.

"Your opponent is me" he said calmly, but with rage evident in his voice.

"So, you're standing in my way again! So be it, shinobi. I'll destroy you too. I'll show you my true power" Sigmund said as he charged his magical power, surrounding himself with a dark aura. His armor started changing, it became darker, spikes appeared on his gauntlets, as well as on his shoulder plates and his sword started glowing.

"You are finally taking this seriously. So am I. Byakugan!" Neji said as he activated his Byakugan and took his battle stance.

"You fool. Earlier you were nearly destroyed when I used my flying blades. This time, I'll destroy all you with my strongest move. But since you have proved to be quite unpredictable, it would be better if I got some distance first" Sigmund said as he started levitating.

"What? He can fly?" Neji said shocked. Sigmund continued to move higher until he surpassed the height of even the tallest trees and stood above them.

"This is our difference between me and all of you. This, is where I stand. You can't reach me, until you grow wings and fly as well" the armored mage said laughing as he raised his glowing sword.

"Grow wings, huh?" Neji said silently.

"That's it. We are lost" Honoko said, desperately.

"Don't give up! There's still hope! We are not lost yet!" Erza said with a strong voice as she grabbed her hand.

"So, this is it. The next move will end this fight. But, I cannot lose here. I cannot give up. The others are fighting here and despite their struggles, I know that neither of them will give up. Naruto, Lee, even Sasuke" Neji thought as he started focusing his chakra. "Naruto, you are the one who opened my eyes. You are the one who helped see light through the darkness, the one that taught me that you can create your own destiny. Sasuke, you left the village but you came back, even if they had to drag you. You were lost yourself, but you are trying to move on, to find again your own passage, like I tried before. Lee, I've always been called a genius, and yet you managed to learn a jutsu that I couldn't. You never gave up, despite all the obstacles you move forward with sheer will and determination. You really are a genius of hard work as Guy says, and someone I can call a rival and even learn some things from. Like the forbidden jutsu of the Inner Chakra Gates. Perhaps, I cannot go as far as you, but the first on the Inner Chakra gates should be more than enough to give me the boost that I need. And then, my Juken can pick it up. Kaimon!" Neji thought as he activated the Gate of Opening, instantly increasing his speed and power, while still focusing his chakra. "Now, just wait for the right moment" he thought as he watched his opponent, who was still charging his magic, intensely.

"It's over! Explosive Blade!" Sigmund said as he swung his sword in the air, shooting a large, glowing blade which moved with great speed and crashed with force at the spot where Neji was standing, creating a strong explosion. The force was so strong, that Erza and Nina were sent flying backwards despite their distance, and the spot was surrounded by a big cloud of dust. After a while the dust settled down, there was a large mark on the ground where the blast hit, but no trace of Neji.

"Where is he? Was he totally wiped out by the blast?" Sigmund thought as he scanned the place.

"Oh no! Is he gone?" Honoko said desperately. Erza scanned the place frantically, but then she noticed something in the sky.

"There he is!" she said with surprise. Sigmund raised his head shocked.

"But, how?" he stammered.

"I grew wings" Neji said with a smirk.

"Look at him up there. How did he do that? Is he, flying?" Honoko said shocked.

"This blue aura around him, is that his chakra? It almost looks like wings, the wings of an eagle" Erza said. Neji dashed forward with blinding speed, looking almost like a blue blur and attacked with the combined power of his Juken and his increased power and speed from the Gate of Opening that he activated.

"Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho!" he said as he unleashed a barrage of powerful strikes, which were so swift that were barely visible, while blue sparks started flying around.

"His speed is even greater than before" Erza said amazed. Neji continued his attack with increasing speed and force, until Sigmund's armor began to crack and continued with a powerful spinning kick that sent him crashing on the ground.

"Hakke Kusho Rendan!" Neji said as he shot a number a high pressured wind blasts that landed on after another with great force on his opponent, the last blast was so strong that it created a small explosion. Neji then landed on his feet panting but with a determined expression on his face, as the dust slowly settled and showed Sigmund lying on the ground, his armor completely shattered.

"Defeated again? How did this happen?" he said panting.

"What a guy! He actually did it" Honoko said.

"I think this time we actually won. It was about time" Erza said as she sighed in relief. Neji walked slowly towards Sigmund who was lying on the ground.

"How could I lose from you guys? I was stronger than you" he said.

"Perhaps you are right. I also used to think that skills and natural talent were the only things that mattered, but I learned that this not always the case. Sometimes, victory goes to the one who is most determined, who has the most guts and wants to win the most" Neji said, surprising even himself.

"Is that so? What a crazy kind of logic" Sigmund said slowly as he passed out.

"Maybe it is kinda crazy. But sometimes, it seems to work pretty well" Neji said calmly as he turned around and moved away slowly. As he walked, he noticed a pack of birds flying in the sky and he simply smiled.

**Author's note: ****One more fight done! In case some of you start wondering about Neji's sudden flight abilities, let me explain. First he wasn't actually flying, he was temporarily levitating before he attacked. And second, he kinda did that in the first Naruto Shippuden movie, so apparently he can do something like that. Maybe it's the stance that he gets before he hits the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four palms. And I also kinda improvised about the Inner Chakra gates that Guy and Lee use. The truth is, Kakashi can also use the first gate, so why not Neji too? He could do it. Anyway, the next update will also be a quick one, and I would like to hear your comments and your thought on the story. Until next time!**


	14. The power of bonds

**Author's note! The new chapter is up! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.  
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**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 14**

A pleasant breeze was blowing in the forest, as Erza sat up on the ground trying to rest while Neji moved closer.

"Are you guys okay?" Neji said.

"I'm fine, just a little tired. I'm worried about Nina though" Erza said as Honoko was still on her lap with her eyes closed.

"That shot that she tool earlier seemed pretty bad. But I'm sure that her armor and her shield should have protected her and reduced the damage" Neji said.

"Maybe. I sure hope so. Hey Honoko, are you okay? How are you feeling?" Erza said softly as she leaned closer to the girl in her lap. Honoko hummed as she repositioned herself on Erza's lap and shifted on her side.

"Mmm, so soft!" she mumbled with a happy smile and a shade of pink on her face. Erza blinked a little confused for a while and it took her a few minutes before she realized, with a slight blush, that Honoko was resting comfortably on her large, soft bosom.

"So, Honoko. Are, um, you feeling comfortable?" Erza said as she tried to have a calm tone her voice, while still blushing.

"Hmmf, yes! Very comfortable!" Honoko purred with delight, but suddenly her eyes shot wide open in shock as realization hit her, and she sat up instantly like she bounced on a spring. "Aha, ha, I mean yes, I'm fine! I'm totally fine, thanks for asking!" she said with a heavy blush, as she rubbed the back of her head while laughing in embarrassment.

"I see. I'm glad that you are feeling better" Erza said with a cool voice as she folded her arms, while Honoko just stared at the ground between them, still with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Good. It seems that both of you are fine then" Neji said simply with his typical pokerface.

"Huh? What's up with this guy? He didn't react at all!" Honoko thought surprised, with a slight sweat drop.

"Still, I wonder how the others are doing. I hope they are fine. We should better find them fast" Erza said.

"Leave this to me. Byakugan!" Neji said as he activated his Byakugan and scanned around the forest. "When we got inside the forest I used the Byakugan to pin point all of you, that's how we split up and we were able to find you quickly. It looks like Lee has already won his fight. Good! There are two others with him. A girl, that must be one of your friends, and another guy. He seems to be wearing some sort of formal suit" Neji continued with some surprise.

"Some sort of formal suit? I see, that must be Loke! Of course he would be there" Erza said with a smile.

"There's also a big guy who seems to be unconscious, but out of danger. And, a small cat" Neji said slightly confused.

"The big guy must be Jinrei. It's a good thing that he is not seriously hurt" Honoko said.

"And the small cat is Happy, Natsu's partner. I'm not surprised that he is with Lucy though" Erza said lightly.

"Oh right, I remember seeing something like this on Kakashi's report. Now, let's continue. Naruto and Lee didn't go very far from each other, so he should be close. Got him, I think he finished his fight as well. Your friend, Natsu, is with him as well" Neji said as he continued his research.

"Natsu, I knew you could do it" Erza said with some pride.

"That means that Kenji was defeated. Tell me, is he all right?" Honoko said, worried.

"He is down, but he seems alright" Neji said.

"Good, he is fine" Honoko sighed in relief.

"I guess that leaves just one fight" Neji said as he deactivated his Byakugan.

"Yes. Gray's fight" Erza said seriously.

"And Sasuke has gone to his aid" Neji said thoughtfully.

"Is there a problem? This Sasuke, he is strong like the rest of you guys, right?" Erza said as she noticed his face.

"That's not the problem. Sasuke is a strong, skilled shinobi, but when it comes to teamwork, it's not really his thing. I have the feeling that everyone, one way or another, worked together to win their fights. Even we did, in a way. But Sasuke can be pretty proud and, well, really stubborn, to put it lightly. I don't think I can imagine him working together with anyone" Neji said.

"And their opponent is Arkana. He sure isn't easy to deal with" Honoko said. Erza however, smiled widely.

"It's fine. Gray can handle himself. And he can be pretty stubborn too, actually. Perhaps those two can work together better than you think" she said.

"It's not only that. Sasuke is used to fight for his own reasons. It's been a long time since he fought for someone other than himself, and I'm not sure if he even remembers what it means to be part of a village, part of a team, to have actual bonds. I want to think that he changed like Naruto does, but I'm not sure if can actually change so quickly" Neji said.

"Then Gray will remind him that having bonds really means. And probably knock some sense into him while he's at it" Erza said with confidence.

"I know that Arkana is really strong, but if Erza says that everything will be fine, then I agree with her" Honoko said.

"Perhaps you are right" Neji said thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, deeper inside the forest Gray and Sasuke were standing ready for their fight.<p>

"Stand back. I'll take care of this guy" Sasuke said.

"Hey, wait a minute! What makes you think that I will simply stay here and let you do all the fighting? We're supposed to fight together. Besides, this guy is pretty strong" Gray said in protest.

"You're still tired from your previous fight, aren't you?" Sasuke said.

"Well, maybe I'm not in my best condition, but I can still fight" Gray said annoyed.

"Then you'll just get in the way. I'll fight this guy" Sasuke said simply. Gray growled angrily.

"Tsk. Out of all the guys who could come, I got the annoying one" he thought irritated. "Fine then, have it your way. Go ahead and do your thing" Gray said as he sat down.

"Good. I'll finish this quickly" Sasuke said with confidence as he slowly unsheathed his sword.

"You'll finish this quickly? I do believe I'm being underestimated. No matter, you'll realize your mistake soon enough" Arkana said with a smile as he threw a number of purple glowing cards, which flew towards Sasuke at great speed. Sasuke charged forward, dodging most of the glowing cards and blocking some of them with his sword.

"He's fast and pretty skilled with that sword" Arkana thought with some surprise as Sasuke attacked with a swift swing of his sword that he managed to block with his cane. Sasuke then continued his attack by landing a swift kick to his opponent's midsection, followed by a hard strike to his face that sent him flying backwards, but Arkana managed to land on his feet.

"Dark Bombers!" he said as he threw a number of cards that were surrounded in purple flames. Sasuke once again blocked the cards with his sword and attacked with even greater speed, landing a hard kick on his opponent's chin which sent him flying high in the air, and continued his attack by leaping in the air and attacked with swift swings with his sword, which Arkana tried to block with his cane. The two of them started a quick paced battle, while still in mid air, for a while until Sasuke succeeded in landing a number of quick strikes, followed by a hard kick which sent his opponent crashing on the ground.

"I guess he wasn't being confident for nothing after all. He really is good" Gray thought as Sasuke landed on his feet.

"What's the matter? Is that all you've got?" he said with a smirk. Arkana however, laughed silently.

"I see. You're pretty strong, shinobi. But, don't think you've already won just because of a few lucky hits! This fight, is just getting started" the hat wearing mage said as he got up slowly.

"Whatever. If you say so" Sasuke said with a shrug.

"Such arrogance. It looks like somebody needs an attitude adjustment" Arkana said as he threw a number of glowing cards.

"This thing again?" Sasuke said as he got ready to block the cards again with his sword, but instead, the cards started flying around him rapidly. "What?" he said surprised.

"You didn't really think that I would try a direct attack again, did you? Spiral Card!" Arkana said with an evil smile as the cards started flying towards Sasuke with even greater speed, striking him from every direction as Sasuke tried to block them.

"Damn it, this isn't working. They are too fast. I need to try something else. Chidori Nagashi!" Sasuke said as he suddenly hit all of the cards around him at once as he was surrounded with blue colored sparks.

"This must be what Hun called Ninjutsu. This boy seems pretty skilled at that too" Arkana thought.

"That was a nice trick. Now let me show you one of mine" Sasuke said as he flowed his lightning release chakra through his sword, making it glow with lightning, and attacked with a swift swing that nearly landed on his opponent. Sasuke's eyed blinked in surprise as Arkana turned into a cloud of mist, causing the sword to swing through him, and vanished only to reappear a little further but at a safe distance.

"That was close" Arkana said sweating slightly.

"This guy can use Mist magic too?" Gray thought surprised.

"You're quick to get away. But, do you really think that running away is going to help you win?" Sasuke said.

"Maybe not, but for the moment it seems better to keep you at a distance. As long as I have a distance from you, I should be fine" Arkana said.

"Guess again" Sasuke said as he suddenly shot a long, light blue colored, lightning blade from his hand, impaling his opponent. Arakana's eyes shot wide open in surprise, but he smiled as he disappeared. Sasuke didn't even blink this time, instead he just turned around and blocked another card that suddenly flew towards him, which exploded and fell on the ground.

"I knew that you would somehow slip away again" Sasuke said as Arkana appeared from behind some trees and walked towards him slowly.

"I expected that you would be able to attack from a distance as well, so I got prepared and had my cloning card ready. But never mind that, I got a special magical trick ready, just for you shinobi" he said as he took a small ball out of his pocket.

"A ball?" Sasuke said a little confused.

"Watch out! This guy can make even the simplest things dangerous! He's up to something" Gray yelled in warning.

"Tsk, tsk! Now why would you spoil a magical trick like that, by giving away the surprise? No matter, it's not like it will make a difference" Arkana said as the small ball started levitating, grew to the size of a volley ball, and flew towards Sasuke at a great speed. Sasuke was caught by surprise as the ball landed hard on his face, it flew away and attacked again, this time landing on his mid section. The ball kept flying around and attacking from different directions until Sasuke sliced it in half with his sword.

"That's it" he said but the ball suddenly explode once it was cut, surrounding the spot in smoke.

"You should be more careful. Now, you're not getting tired, are you? Because things are about to speed up. With this special card here" Arkana said as the dust settled down.

"Another card?" Sasuke said slightly panting as he got up.

"Exactly! A very special one. My Speed Card" Arkana said as he activated his card and he started slightly glowing with a golden light. He then charged forward with an incredible speed, attacking Sasuke with a barrage of swift blows.

"He suddenly got much faster" Gray thought worried. Sasuke tried to attack but he kept missing as he could barely see Arkana. All he could see was a blur before he got another barrage of blows that sent him flying backwards.

"What's the matter? Too fast for you?" Arkana said with a mocking tone.

"How annoying. Okay, time to get serious. Sharingan!" Sasuke said as he got up and activated his Sharingan. Arkana's moves suddenly became slower, clearer, he was no longer a blur. Sasuke could still see him move fast, but he could actually see his moves. Arkana attacked again, but this time Sasuke was ready as he easily blocked the strike.

"What? How did you block me?" Arkana said shocked.

"Apparently you are not fast enough" Sasuke said as he landed a hard blow, sending Arkana flying backwards. Sasuke continued his attack by dashing forward and landing a hard kick on his opponent's chin, which sent him flying high in the air. He then jumped high in the air as well, moving closer to his opponent.

"Shishi Rendan!" he said as he landed a barrage of hard kicks on his opponent, sending him crashing on the ground. Sasuke landed on his feet as Arkana got up slowly.

"This was, unexpected. Card of Recovery!" he said as he activated another card, surrounding him momentarily in a blue light which seemed to heal him. "That's better. Although, I won't be able to use this one for a while" Arkana said as he put his card back to his pocket.

"Do not underestimate the power of the Uchiha!" Sasuke said with a strong voice.

"I suppose, you are stronger than I thought, shinobi. And there seems to be something special about those eyes of yours" Arkana said thoughtfully.

"Those eyes, they are the same as Kakashi's. They both have this Sharingan" Gray thought.

"Well, since you have special eyes, perhaps we should even things up a bit. It's time for one of my favorite cards. Magical Mist!" Arkana said as he held a glowing card in front of him, causing a thick, white mist to surround them.

"Really, a mist? That's not going to work" Sasuke started to say, but he stopped surprised. "Wait a minute, what's up with that mist? I can barely see anything" he thought as the mist grew thicker around him, giving him the impression that he was floating inside a large cloud.

"My Magical Mist is not an ordinary mist. Usually, it nullifies almost every magical attack that gets inside it. But, since it is in its more spread form, it just weakens any attack. Instead, as you probably realized, it drops the line of vision to a little more than an arm's reach, making it completely disorienting. I'm afraid this fight is over for you" Arkana said with a laugh. Sasuke looked around, trying to pin point his position, as Arkana's voice seemed to come from every direction around him.

"It's no use. Even with my Sharingan, I can't seem to find him" Sasuke thought as he suddenly saw some glowing cards fly towards him. While he was barely able to dodge them, they crashed next to him, exploding as they hit the ground. "Okay now, calm down. I need to focus. Maybe I cannot rely on my Sharingan for the moment, but I still have other senses. Focus, try to listen" the shinobi thought as he closed his eyes and tried to listen to his surroundings Something moving around him, someone moving closer from his side. Sasuke opened his eyes, his Sharingan still activated, turned around swiftly and managed to block the incoming attack. "I see you now" he said with a smirk as he landed a strong blow with his fist. He heard a groan and a thud as the mission soon dissolved, revealing Arkana on the ground, trying to get up. "Time to finish this" Sasuke said as he attacked with his sword.

"You might want to watch your step" Arkana said with a smile. Sasuke noticed a card lying in front of him a little too late, as he was caught in a powerful lighting vortex.

"Gah! Damn it, how could I be so careless?" he said panting.

"I guess I win after all. So long, shinobi" Arkana said as he charged towards him, pulling a small dagger from his belt. Suddenly, he was sent flying backwards from a strong punch.

"You! I didn't ask for your help" Sasuke said to the mage in front of him.

"I am not here to help you. I just got tired of waiting for you to finish. Besides, I was itching to punch this bastard for a while now" Gray said with a grin as he cracked his knuckles.

"Well, well, look who decided to join the show. So, you finally managed to get on your feet, ice mage?" Arkana said with a smile as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

"Oh don't worry about that. I can do much more than just standing on my feet" Gray said.

"I guess it can't be helped then. If you want to fight so much, then suit yourself" Sasuke said as he got back up.

"Gee, thanks. That's really kind of you" Gray said with sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Let's continue with the show then, shall we? Although, I'll make sure that it doesn't last much longer" Arkana said as he drew a card.

"It's funny that you would say that" Gray said with a grin.

"Because that's our line" Sasuke added with a smirk.

"We'll see about that. Magical Swords!" Arkana said as a number of swords appeared around him, which flew against them.

"I got this. Ice Make, Lance!" Gray said as he shot a number of long, ice made spears which collided with the swords, sending them falling on the ground along with chunks of ice.

"Interesting. My turn now. It's time for the Uchiha special. Katon, Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke said as he shot a large fireball against Arkana.

"Magical Barrier!" Arkana said as he drew another glowing card and created a purple glowing, transparent barrier that stopped the flames. "So, fire and ice, huh? In that case, I'll use these. My Rumbling Thunder Card and I'll combine it with my Raging Wind Card. Lightning Storm!" Arkana said as he held the two cards at the same time, sending a windy tornado with lightning against Gray and Sasuke. The mage and the shinobi both dodged by leaping towards different sides, causing the tornado to pass between them.

"This is crazy! How can you use so many different kinds of magic?" Gray said.

"It's simple. Magic doesn't have a specific form. It's not something solid, it's fluid and changing, it's all around us in the air, in the nature and inside us, and it takes many forms. To be able to use the gift of magic, is the power of imagination. That's why my kind of magic is to try and use magic in its purest form, and not limit it. That's the reason I've been studying magic nearly my whole life" Arkana said.

"If you love magic so much, then why didn't you join an official guild? Wouldn't that make it easier for you to study magic, to have a proper guidance and improve your skills?" Gray said.

"Don't make me laugh! As if you official guilds know anything about the nature of magic. You guys just limit yourselves, you don't fully explore magic. Master Sid has showed me the real power of magic" Arkana said with a sneer.

"What kind of nonsense is that? There's much more to magic than power. Magic also comes from your feelings and your bonds with your friends" Gray said.

"Bonds, huh?" Sasuke thought.

"This kind of stuff is the exact reason why I didn't bother with official guilds. You are simply kidding yourselves with nonsense like friendship, so you can deal with being weak. As for the feelings, you do have a point there, but not the feelings that you think. Anger, rage, fear, hate, these are the feelings that can give you true power!" Arkana said with a dark gleam in his eyes.

"You bastard! If you want power, I'll show you power! Ice Make, Hammer!" Gray said as he shot a large, ice made hammer, which Arkana was barely able to dodge, while at the same time he blocked a kunai thrown by Sasuke.

"You have the advantage in numbers. Time to even things up" Arkana said as he took off his hat and threw it in the air. The hat grew larger, large enough to fit someone inside, and feel on top of Arkana, covering him completely.

"What is he doing this time?" Gray said with wonder. The hat then started multiplying in more hats until they formed a circle around them.

"We are surrounded by hats" Sasuke said.

"Go ahead and pick one! Be careful though, if you choose the wrong one, you might be unpleasantly surprised" Arkana's voice seemed like it was coming from every hat.

"Surprised, huh? He probably has some traps under these hats" Gray said.

"Perhaps. Or, he could just be bluffing and simply hiding until he finds an opening to attack. Anyway, we need to figure out where he is" Sasuke said thoughtfully.

"We could dig him out the Fairy Tail way" Gray said with a grin.

"And by that, you mean?" Sasuke said with his eyebrow raised.

"It's simple. We'll just blow every single one of them" Gray said.

"What an insightful strategic plan" Sasuke said with his poker face.

"Hey, I don't see you coming up with anything better. Unless you can't handle something like this" Gray said twitching.

"Hmph! Just try to keep up you idiot" Sasuke said twitching as well.

"I told you already, blowing up things is Fairy Tail's speciality. Ice Make, Geyser!" Gray said as he slammed his hands on the ground, creating large, spiky blocks of ice that moved towards the hats and destroyed about half of them.

"Katon, Hosenka no Jutsu!" Sasuke said as he attacked at the same time by shooting a barrage of small fireballs, destroying the rest of the hats and noticing Arkana jumping from one of them.

"Damn it! That didn't work" he said as he landed on his feet. Arkana then got up, noticing shocked that Sasuke was moving swiftly towards him, ready to strike. Sasuke attacked with his sword and Arkana was barely able to block it with his cane.

" Got you now" Sasuke said as he pulled him closer, activating his Sharingan.

"What the? What's this?" Arkana said as he felt falling into a dark abyss. His eyes shot wide open and his body went stiff as he fell on the ground with a dazed expression.

"That's it" Sasuke said as he slowly walked away.

"What happened? What did you do?" Gray asked confused.

"I put him under a genjutsu. One of the specialties that the Sharingan offers. At first I wasn't sure if it would work since you guys don't rely on chakra for fighting, but it seems that it worked just fine" Sasuke responded.

"I see. Well, I'm not actually excited about a fight this way, but at least we won" Gray said.

"You guys use genjutsu too?" Sasuke said with some surprise and a tone of interest.

"Yeah. It's not very common, but there are mages who use Illusion Magic, in one way or another. I never liked this trick thought, I prefer a more straightforward way of fighting" Gray said.

"Is that so? I guess you wouldn't make a very good Uchiha then" Sasuke said.

"Well, not with that outfit" Gray said pointedly.

"What's wrong with my outfit? It's practical" Sasuke said.

"Sure, practical" Gray said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I don't want to hear that from a guy who runs around half naked" Sasuke said pointedly.

"Hey, shut up! It's just a habit that I picked when I was training, okay?" Gray shot back.

"What kind of training was that?" Sasuke said with wonder.

"A special one" Gray said. Suddenly, they both turned around as they heard some stirring.

"That, was an interesting trick" Arkana said, slightly panting as he got up.

"He broke out of the genjutsu?" Sasuke said surprised.

"It's not the first time that I fell into an illusion, although that was pretty intense. But, unfortunately for you, you are not the only one who can play with illusions" the hat wearing mage said as he drew a card.

"You can use illusion magic too?" Gray yelled.

"Every good magician knows a couple of illusion tricks. Card of Illusion!" Arkana said as he lifted the glowing card and a spinning whirlwind appeared, followed by a strong light that caused both Gray and Sasuke to close their eyes.

* * *

><p>Gray opened his eyes and gasped in surprise. He found himself in a nearly destroyed town.<p>

"How did I get here? Oh yeah, I remember now. This is just an illusion. How do I get out of here? And why does this place look so familiar?" he thought as he walked around. Most of the buildings were destroyed and some of them were on fire, making the night look like day and giving a sense of total destruction. "Wait, this is. It can't be" Gray said as he heard a terrible roar. He raised his head and saw a giant, demon like monster walking around. "This is the village that Deliora attacked. That means" Gray said as he turned around and found the people he was looking for. A young woman with short, black hair and two young boys behind her, one white haired that was knocked out and one black haired. Gray started running towards them, his forehead sweating and his heart pounding like crazy. "I need to get there. I need to save them. If I get close enough, I'll be able to help them. I'll this damn monster down with my own hands" he thought desperately as he ran as fast as he could. He got closer, but he could tell that he was already late, the demon like monster was already close. He could hear his teacher's words before she did her last move, the Iced Shell.

"I will seal your darkness away" she said smiling as she activated the Iced Shell, locking Deliora away in an ice prison, before she vanished in a blue light. Gray could only hear his younger self's cries as he stopped running.

"Ul, no! Damn it!" he yelled in despair as he beat his chest with his fist, feeling a gripping in his chest, and fell weakly on his knees.

* * *

><p>Sasuke opened his eyes and also found himself in a familiar place.<p>

"This is Konoha. And this place looks kinda familiar" he said as he walked on a large balcony until he saw a group of people. A older man was sitting on the rail of the balcony and three kids were sitting on some stairs. "This is our first meeting as Team 7. This is when Kakashi asked us about our goals and our dreams" he thought.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are many things that I hate, and there aren't a lot of things that I like. Also, I have an ambition that that I have no intention to leave as just a dream. The revival of my clan, and, to kill a certain man" he heard his younger self saying.

"To kill a certain man, huh? Ever since then, all I thought about was revenge" Sasuke thought the scene disappeared and Sasuke found himself in a forest. Four figures were on top of the trees. "This must be the fight with Gaara" he thought.

"I have already lost everything once. I never want to see an important friend die in front of me again" he heard his younger self say again before Naruto got up next to him.

"To wanted to protect those who are important to me. Back then, this is how I felt, but was that honest? Or was I just kidding myself?" Sasuke thought as the scene disappeared once again and he found himself standing at the shore of a river, with two large statues standing opposite each other at the sides of a waterfall. "This is the Valley of the End. This is where Naruto and I fought and, I left" Sasuke thought as he saw two figures. One was lying on the ground and the other one was leaning over him. Then, his younger self slowly got up and left. After a while Kakashi appeared, he picked up Naruto on his back, lowered his head and left too.

"So, this is it. This is what probably happened" Sasuke thought.

"We left" Sasuke heard a voice behind him and turned around quickly, only to see his younger self staring at him.

"What? You can see me?" he said surprised.

"We left. We abandoned everyone, and left" his younger self said again.

"So it's this kind of trick, huh? Clever, using my own memories against me, but it won't work on me" Sasuke said calmly.

"Of course it won't! You are, the great Sasuke after all" Sasuke's eyes shot wide open as Naruto appeared as well.

"Naruto too?" he thought with surprise.

"You always thought of yourself. You never cared about anyone else's feelings" Naruto said.

"Foolish little brother. If you want to get strong, hate me, detest me. And come and meet me, with the same eyes" Itachi said as he appeared.

"Now Itachi has appeared too?" Sasuke said angrily.

"Yes, Itachi. The only person that you are thinking about, since your revenge is the only thing that matters to you" Naruto said as more people started appearing.

"I pleaded you to stay Sasuke-kun, but you ignored me. You always had" Sakura said.

"I lead an entire team to get you back, but it didn't matter to you" Shikamaru said.

"I fought to my limits, but you never cared" Choji said.

"I gave the fight of my life, but you left anyway" Neji said.

"I fought my hardest fight for you, but you didn't care" Kiba said.

"Enough of this! Do any of you guys know what I've been through. Does any anybody of you know my pain, my loneliness?" Sasuke yelled angrily.

"I do! I've been alone my entire life! At least you have some memories, I have nothing. I was always hated and ignored. But I never turned my back on my friends" Naruto said. Sasuke stepped back as the shades started close around him, with dark expressions and cold eyes.

"This is just an illusion. Just an illusion. But they are right, aren't they? I was selfish. I never, thought of anyone's feelings" Sasuke said as he fell on his knees.

"What are you doing? Get up already!" a loud, clear voice was heard. Sasuke lifted his head and saw with a mix of surprise and confusion, a blurry image of Gray next to him.

"Another illusion? But, why this guy? And he seems, somehow different from the others" he thought.

"How much longer are you going to lie down? Get up!" Gray yelled.

"Wait, you are real! But how?" Sasuke said confused.

"Of course I'm real, although I'm not sure how. We'll talk about this later if you don't mind!" Gray said irritated.

"But, they are right. I abandoned everyone" Sasuke said.

"So what? Maybe you did some mistakes in the past, but how's lying down going to help? You need to move on, make up for your past mistakes, and your friends will be there for you, to support you and help you get up. Because that's what it means to have bonds! That's what friends do!" Gray said with a strong voice as he slowly disappeared, leaving Sasuke shaken with these words.

"Bonds, friendship. Do you even know what these words mean?" Naruto said.

"No, I don't know what these words mean. But, I intend to find out, with my real friends" Sasuke said as he slowly got up. "I will move on, and whatever comes my way I will face it, with my friends. I will no longer be haunted by the ghosts of the past! Now begone, get out of my sight!" he said with a strong voice as he swung his hand decisively. The shades slowly disappeared and Sasuke was momentarily surrounded by a strong light, until he found himself back in the forest, kneeling on the ground with Gray standing next to him.

"It was about time" Gray said with a grin as he slowly got up.

"What? But how, how did you escape my illusions?" Arkana said shocked.

"You did a good job, for a cheating bastard, using our past against us. Unfortunately for you, I've already dealt with my past before. I will keep the memory of Ul forever alive inside of me, and I will keep moving forward for the sake of her and my friends" Gray said strongly as he beat his chest with his fist.

"You should know better than to use an illusion on an Uchiha. Although, that friendship speech did its part too" Sasuke said with a cool voice.

"Damn you!" Arkana growled angrily.

"You're welcome, by the way" Gray said.

"I had to come back up to tell you to stop yelling in my ear. You were worse than Naruto" Sasuke said simply.

"Yeah, whatever" Gray said twitching.

"Anyway, I'm starting to get really tired of this guy. How about we finish this?" Sasuke said decisively.

"You have a plan?" Gray said.

"I might. We just have to coordinate our attacks" Sasuke said.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go this way, you go that way" Gray said with a grin.

"Those illusions took a lot of magic. I need to finish this now. My magic tuxedo should protect me from a moderate direct attack, but I can't rely on this. I need to take them out before they get too close" Arkana thought as he drew a card.

"Let's go" Gray said as he and Sasuke dashed forward.

"Take this. Super Explosive Card!" Arkana said as he threw a glowing card. The mage and the shinobi dodged by leaping towards different sides, causing the card to crash on the ground and create a strong explosion. Sasuke continued his attack and moved closer to Arkana, his hand surrounded in blue lightning.

"Chidori!" he yelled as he drove his hand to his opponent's mid section. His magical defense prevented Sasuke from actually impaling him, but the powerful move did some heavy damage as he was sent flying in the air from the force of the attack. Arkana then lifted his head and saw Gray standing on a large block of ice, holding an ice made bow.

"Ice Make, Super Freeze Arrow!" he yelled as he shot a large arrow which landed on his opponent while still in mid air and sent him crashing on the ground.

"I lose again" Arkana said shocked as he passed out. Gray jumped from the large ice block and landed on his feet.

"That went well" Sasuke said simply as he sheathed his sword.

"I guess we kinda went overboard again. That's fine" Gray said with a smile as he sat on the ground.

**Author's note: ****And there goes this chapter. One more team up between a mage and a shinobi was successful, I hope you all enjoyed it! Now I would like to talk about some thoughts, that I don't usually mention. While this story seems to be getting some good hits, and I thank you all for that, I don't seem to get a lot of feedback in the latest chapters. While I do enjoy writing this story, reviews can also be important, they can let the writer know if people like his story, what they like about it and encourage him to move on. Everyone who writes a story wants to get some good reviews, to hear the readers' comments and feel their enthusiasm, if they like their story, or listen to some suggestions. So, I would like to thank everyone who has left a review so far, and I would really appreciate it if you could leave a couple more reviews. Until next time!**


	15. Reunion under the trees

**Author's note:**** New update! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 15**

The sun rose higher in the sky as it was nearly the middle of the day. Gray took a deep breath and smiled as he looked in the sky.

"It sure is a nice day" he commented.

"I guess it is" Sasuke said as he looked towards the sky, as well.

"Well, I suppose we should find the others" Gray said, as he got slowly back on his feet.

"This forest seems pretty thick though. It's not gonna be very easy finding the others" Sasuke said, thoughtfully.

"It's fine, I think I have an idea where to start. I guess more people have come with you too?" Gray said.

"Of course they have. We always deal with our missions in teams" Sasuke said, in a matter of fact way.

"I see. So, how did you guys find us anyway? I mean, the forest is pretty big, so how did you know where to go?" Gray asked with wonder.

"It's pretty simple, actually. That Hyuga guy used that Byakugan of his and we were able to find you through the forest" Sasuke responded simply.

"That's another kind of special eyes, isn't it? Byakugan, Sharingan. Does everyone in your village have special eyes?" Gray said.

"No, not really. It's just those two clans that have the dojutsu, the Hyuga with the Byakugan and the Uchiha with the Sharingan. Although, there are very few Uchiha left" Sasuke mumbled, as he lowered his head.

"I'm sorry to hear that" Gray said with sympathy.

"Thank you" Sasuke said after a small pause. "If I may ask, I suppose, from what you said about the illusions that that guy used, you have also lost someone, right?" Sasuke said with some hesitance.

"Yeah, my teacher. Actually, she was more like my mother, and the only family that I have ever known, until I joined the guild" Gray said slowly.

"So, in a sense, you also lost everyone important to you. I guess, we have more in common than I first thought" Sasuke said with a bitter smile.

"Yeah, I guess. If you put it that way. But we also have something else in common, don't we?" Gray responded, with a slightly lighter tone.

"Like what?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Precious friends that ease our pain, and help us move on. Perhaps, they won't completely fill the gap that our loved ones have left, or replace them. But they don't have to, right? They are still our loved families" Gray said with a small smile. Sasuke didn't answer at once, but a faint smile appeared on his expression.

"I suppose, you have a point. Now, let's go find the others" he suggested.

"Sure, let's go" Gray agreed, as he turned around to leave.

"Before we go, there's something else I would like to ask you" Sasuke added.

"What is it?" Gray asked, as he turned towards him.

"As I said before, when that guy used his illusions you had to deal with something from your past too. How did you manage to escape?" Sasuke said. Gray thought for a moment before he answered.

"Well, as I already said, I've dealt with my past before. It wasn't easy, but I've managed to move on. It's not like I've forgotten about it, or it still doesn't hurt. But sometimes, you need to put your past behind you and move forward" he said seriously.

"You may be right but still, how did you do it? Was it really your friends that helped you with your past?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes! It wasn't easy, and I had to try a lot by myself too. But, my friends helped me a great deal" Gray responded.

"I see. I think, I'm beginning to remember how friendship feels like. I had nearly forgotten about it. Or actually, I tried to" Sasuke mumbled.

"Why would you try to forget about your friends?" Gray wondered, with a hint of confusion.

"It's a long story that you don't need to know right now. All I'm gonna say is that I had to get stronger for my own reasons, and I thought I would achieve that if I severed all my bonds" Sasuke said, with a serious expression.

"I see. I guess you must had some pretty serious reasons for that, and I can tell that you've been through a lot of pain in the past. So, let me just tell you this. Your bonds aren't dragging you down, they give you wings to move forward. They are making you stronger, not weaker. And sometimes, they help you realize your true self" Gray said, with a serious expression as well.

"Perhaps. There are a couple of things that I need to think about" Sasuke said thoughtfully.

"You can do your thinking on the way. Let's go now" Gray said, as the two of them made their way through the forest.

* * *

><p>Natsu stretched with his arms wide open as he got back on his feet.<p>

"Are you feeling better?" Naruto said.

"Yeah, I just needed a moment. Fighting this guy two times in a row wasn't exactly relaxing" Natsu said, as he moved around his arm.

"Like you are the one to talk. Do you really think I'm feeling much better?" Kenji said as he slowly sat up.

"You are the one who attacked in the first place!" Natsu yelled.

"You are the one who came all the way here looking for trouble!" Kenji yelled back.

"You wanna go again?" Natsu said angrily.

"Hey hey, calm down you two" Naruto said as he raised his hands with a slight sweatdrop. "What's up with these guys? Are they really ready to go at it again?" he thought. "Besides, shouldn't we go looking for the others?" he continued.

"Yeah, you're right. I need to see if everyone's okay" Natsu said worried.

"Well, your cute friend shouldn't be very hard to find. She's probably in the valley down the hill" Kenji said as he pointed towards the edge of the hill. Natsu and Naruto ran towards the edge of the hill and looked down.

"It doesn't look very high, but I still can't see anything at the bottom" Naruto said.

"We need to get down there" Natsu said decisively.

"How? Do you have any ideas?" Naruto asked.

"Of course I do! We jump" Natsu said simply.

"What? That's your idea?" Naruto yelled.

"Why, what's wrong with that? Did you think of something better?" Natsu said.

"Let me think for a moment. Oh, I know! I'm gonna make a ladder with my shadow clones and we simply climb down" Naruto said as he pumped his fist into his palm with enthusiasm.

"That's one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard! I'm not gonna climb down a ladder made of you! What's the matter with you?" Natsu yelled.

"Yeah, right! Like jumping off the cliff is much better!" Naruto said with sarcasm.

"You guys are both idiots!" Kenji said as he face palmed. Natsu and Naruto both turned around and glared at him, causing him to sweat drop.

"Hey, look who's up!" Naruto said.

"Well, let's hear your great idea! Have you thought of something better?" Natsu said.

"As a matter of fact, I have! How about we simply walk down the path that leads to the valley down the hill?" Kenji said. Natsu and Naruto looked at each other before they both slowly turned towards Kenji.

"There's a path?!" both of them said shocked, at the same time. Kenji sighed and showed them to a small path that was near them and lead them down the hill. The small group walked down the path and moved in the small valley in front of them.

"That was quick" Naruto said.

"There some signs of battle around the place, but I don't see anyone here. Wait, I think I see someone over there" Natsu said as he looked around the valley and saw a lying figure. Kenji didn't talk, instead he walked right towards the lying figure and kneeled beside him, with Natsu and Naruto walking behind him.

"Well Jinrei, you don't look very good" he said with a smirk, but concern evident in his voice.

"He is one of your comrades, right?" Natsu said.

"Yeah, that's right. He is out, but at least he is still alive. That's good" Kenji said as he sighed with relief. "It also means that your little friend somehow made it. His seal has already been activated, so I guess that one of your friends had something to do with this" he continued as he turned towards Naruto.

"Exactly! That means that Fuzzy Brows won! I knew that he would do it" Naruto said proudly.

"But none of them is here though. Perhaps, they went towards the forest. Lucy's scent is still distinct, so it shouldn't be that long since they left. We need to find them" Natsu said agitated.

"Easy there, hound. You are right, they are probably not very far. And I got an idea where they might be. Come on, I'll show you" Kenji said as he slowly got up.

"You will help us? Why?" Natsu said with wonder.

"I agree. I'm not sure if we can trust this guy yet" Naruto said with a hint of suspicion.

"Look, I get it if you have doubts about me, but I have no reason to lead you to any traps. And I'm not really interested in fighting you again, so soon. Now, you can either follow me in the forest and find your friends, or you can wonder around the forest and I find my friends on my own" Kenji said. Natsu and Naruto thought for a while before they exchanged knowing looks.

"You said that Lucy and the others are close. If that's true, then it shouldn't take us too long to find them. Just take us to them and we'll then if we can trust you" Natsu said, and Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Fine, follow me then" Kenji said simply, as they walked deeper inside the forest.

* * *

><p>"This looks like a nice place. We can rest here" Loke said as he looked around.<p>

"Good. I'm exhausted" Lucy said as he and Loke helped Lee sit against a tree and then she sat down as well.

"Aye. I'm tired too" Happy said as he fell face first on the ground.

"How are you feeling, Lee-san?" Lucy said as she turned towards Lee.

"I'm still a little tired, but I'm feeling much better Lucy-san. Thanks for asking" Lee said.

"That's good to hear" Lucy said with a smile. "Still, this forest is too big. How are we going to find everyone else?" she continued with a frown.

"I could try to fly and search from above again" Happy said as he lifted his head.

"I don't think it would help this time Happy. The trees are just too thick to find anyone from the air" Lucy said.

"Aye. You are probably right" Happy said as he fell on the ground again. Lucy sighed and leaned against one of the trees.

"So, what are we going to do now?" she said still frowning.

"It's fine Lucy, just relax. Besides, I don't think that we need to worry much about finding the others" Loke said with a smile as he seemed to notice something. Lucy blinked in confusion and turned towards the way that Loke was watching.

"What are you talking about?" she said, but then she noticed a group of people coming towards them.

"Someone's coming" Lee said as Lucy got back on her feet and narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look.

"Who is it?" she said.

"Can't you tell?" Loke said still smiling.

"It's Natsu!" Happy said with excitement after he got up.

"Natsu? Really?" Lucy said with surprise.

"I'm sure of it!" Happy said with confidence.

"Lucy! Happy!" Natsu yelled excited waving his hand.

"Natsu! It is you!" Lucy said happily as the pink haired mage dashed towards her and hugged her tightly.

"Lucy, I finally found you!" he said with a cracked voice.

"Natsu, you came at last" Happy said as he flew towards them and Natsu hugged him too.

"Now that's a nice scene" Loke said silently as he watched them with a smile.

"I see you got here too, Naruto-kun" Lee said.

"What's up, Fuzzy Brows? You look a little down. Still, I knew that you would win your fight" Naruto said.

"Yeah, I managed somehow. And of course, you won as well" Lee said.

"Hey, Loke! So you've been with Lucy all along. I guess I was worried for nothing" Natsu said with a hint of relief.

"Of course I was with Lucy. But, we wouldn't have made it without some help" Loke said as he turned towards Lee, who got back on his feet with some help from Naruto, who pulled him.

"So, you are one of Kakashi's friends too" Natsu said.

"Yep, this is Fuzzy Brows. I mean, this is Rock Lee, the number one taijutsu specialist in Konoha!" Naruto said with a proud grin.

"I think you are overreacting Naruto-kun. That would be Guy-sensei" Lee said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah, right" Naruto said, scratching his head.

"I still think that Lee-san is amazing! And, you are?" Lucy said.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage of Konoha!" Naruto said as he put his hands on his waist with another proud grin.

"I see. This is the guy that helped you Natsu. But what about that guy over there?" Loke said as he pointed at someone who walked at a slower pace and stood at a distance.

"That's, that's the guy who attacked us earlier, the guy from the Black Crows! What is he doing here?" Lucy said with shock.

"Nice to see you too" Kenji responded, with an indifferent expression.

"Don't worry Lucy, he's okay. He's the one who helped us find you" Natsu said.

"He, helped you? Really?" Lucy siad, with surprise.

"Well Lucy, it seems that you are gonna be fine now. I think it's about time I take off then" Loke said.

"Oh, okay then Loke. Thanks for everything!" Lucy beamed brightly.

"Don't mention it. I will always be there for you, Lucy" Loke said with a smile as he vanished in a golden light. Lucy slightly blushed, while Naruto and Lee gasped in surprise.

"He vanished!" Naruto said shocked.

"Well yeah. He is a spirit after all" Lucy said calmly.

"A spirit? Oh, you mean like that guy in the horse suit?" Lee said thoughtfully.

"Yes, exactly" Lucy said with a nod.

"That guy in the horse suit? I don't get it" Naruto said rubbing the back of his head in confusion.

"I'll explain you" Lee said but Kenji stepped towards them.

"I suggest you save the explanations for the road. You have people that you need to find and so do I. Now, there's a clearing in the forest that several paths lead. There's also a larger path that leads to the building of the guild from there. I can show you there, if you follow me. And the sooner we get there, the better" he said. The mages and the shinobi exchanged looks.

"What do you guys think?" Lee said.

"I'm not so sure about this" Lucy mumbled a little hesitantly.

"He led us here, so he has no reason to lie. I think he's okay" Naruto responded, as he folded his arms.

"I think so too. Okay then, show the way" Natsu said, as the group made its way through the forest.

* * *

><p>"So Erza, what do you usually do at your guild?" Honoko said.<p>

"Why are you asking?" Erza said with some surprise.

"You know, just to make some small talk. Besides, it's not like I've been to an official guild before, so I'm kinda curious" Honoko said with a shrug.

"I see. Well, things in Fairy Tail are usually pretty simple. When we are not doing jobs, we usually sit in the guild building, talking with each other, eating or drinking. Of course, since this is Fairy Tail we are talking about, we do have our occasional brawling, or other random stuff. Generally, we are just hanging out with our friends and have a good time" Erza said with a smile.

"That sounds like fun! Maybe I should have tried to join an official guild after all" Honoko said as she looked at the ground with a sad smile.

"Then why didn't you?" Erza said curiously.

"I didn't have the chance. I was even thinking of joining Fairy Tail at some point, so I could get to meet you. But then, Master Sid somehow found me. He said that he saw potential in me, and that he would help me achieve my goals. Power is the only thing that matters, and if I joined him, I would become much stronger and I would be able to surpass you, the person that I admired so much. He said some other stuff too and eventually, I joined him. I wasn't in the guild for very long, a little more than a year I think, everyone else in my team has been there longer. But this is the only guild I've ever been to, so far. I-I never hated you Erza, or wanted to hurt you. I'm so sorry" Honoko said as she started to tear up. Erza put her arms around her, and hugged her in comfort.

"It's okay. It's not your fault, Honoko. He is the one who used your dreams and manipulated you. Eventually, you made your own choice. You should be proud of yourself" she said with a soothing tone.

"Thank you, Erza. I am kinda happy though. I know that it's not under the best conditions, but I still got to meet you" Honoko said as she wiped her eyes, and looked at Erza with a happy smile. Erza simply smiled back, as Neji walked towards them.

"We should better move. Naruto's group has met with Lee and the others and they are moving towards a clearing in the forest. Perhaps we can meet them there" he said.

"A clearing? Oh, I know where that is. I can take us there easily" Honoko said.

"What about Gray and your friend?" Erza said.

"They won their battle and they seem to be moving at the same direction. Although, they don't seem to know the way very well, so they are moving relatively slowly. But from the path that they have taken, I suppose they will be at that clearing eventually" Neji said as he folded his arms thoughtfully.

"That's really good news! Let's go then" Erza said with a smile as she got up. Honoko, however, didn't get up at once.

"I still feel a little bit tired. Perhaps, Erza could help me stand? And maybe, hold me so I can walk?" she said with a sly smile.

"Your body is fine. You can stand on your own" Neji said in a matter of fact way.

"Eek! Don't just use your weird eyes on me like this! And what did you say about my body?!" Honoko yelled, as she covered herself with her arms.

"Come on Honoko, we need to hurry! You said you knew the way" Erza said with some impatience. The red haired girl sighed, as she got up.

"Fine, I'll show you the way. Follow me" she said with a pout as she made her way through the forest, followed by the others.

* * *

><p>"Okay, here we are" Kenji said as the group reached the forest clearing. It was pretty spacious, with tall trees all round that cast a nice shade. A pleasant, cool breeze blew between the trees, and the grass seemed fresh and soft, inviting you to lay on it and simply relax.<p>

"This is actually a nice place" Naruto said as he looked around.

"Good, we are here. Now how do we find the others?" Natsu said.

"This is a likely place for someone to end up, but the forest is still big enough for someone to get lost if he doesn't know it well enough or he doesn't have a good sense of direction" Kenji said.

"If that's the case, then we should think of a way to look for the others. Maybe, we could split into teams and search, while someone will wait here in case the others come" Lucy said thoughtfully as she rubbed her chin.

"Yeah, but what if the teams that go searching for the others get lost instead?" Happy said.

"This is a problem" Lucy agreed.

"Hehe, don't worry guys. I got just the perfect solution. All I have to do is create a bunch of shadow clones and search the forest in no time" Naruto said with a grin.

"That's actually a great idea!" Natsu said with excitement.

"I'll help too. I'm starting to feel better already" Lee said.

"That won't be necessary" a male voice was heard. Everyone turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Neji, Erza and Nina coming towards them.

"Erza!" Natsu, Lucy and Happy yelled excited and ran towards her.

"It's so good to see everyone again!" Erza said happily as the Fairy Tail mages formed a big hug, all together.

"Neji!" Naruto and Lee yelled excited as well as they ran towards him.

"Good. You guys can still move. Lee, you don't look very well. You used the inner chakra gates again, didn't you?" Neji said.

"It's not as bad as last time. Maybe if I keep trying, I can go even further in opening the inner gates" Lee said enthusiastically.

"We sure showed those guys what Konoha shinobi are made of!" Naruto said with a grin.

"I had a feeling I would see you here" Kenji said with a smile.

"And I was sure you would be fine, although I hoped you would be in a better condition. You're way too stubborn to stay down" Honoko said, with a frown.

"I guess. I saw Jinrei on the way here. He's knocked out, but he's fine" Kenji said.

"Yeah, I know that" Honoko said.

"How are you feeling?" Kenji asked with some concern.

"I'm fine. Sigmund appeared, by the way. After my seal was activated I refused to fight Erza, and Sigmund appeared and attacked both of us" Honoko said.

"I knew it. That bastard!" Kenji growled, as he clenched his fists.

"Don't worry about it. Erza and I totally kicked his ass! Of course, that shinobi guy helped as well. When Sigmund's seal was activated, he took him out by himself" Honoko said, as she pointed towards Neji.

"One of these ninja guys appeared to you too, huh? So what, are you and Scarlet friends now, or something?" Kenji said with a smirk.

"Well, you could say that" Honoko said, smiling.

"Have you guys seen Gray?" Erza said.

"No, not yet" Lucy said.

"Where is that bastard? What's taking him so long?" Natsu yelled.

"Who are you calling bastard, you flame brain?" Gray said as he got from behind the trees, along with Sasuke.

"Well it was about time!" Natsu said.

"You're late, Sasuke!" Naruto said with a grin.

"What can I say, this is a pretty big forest. Actually, we would get here sooner, if this guy hadn't got lost" Sasuke said.

"I didn't get lost. We just took a shortcut" Gray said in protest.

"And we ended up taking the same route, twice" Sasuke said pointedly.

"Anyway. It looks like everyone is here. Although, I have a feeling that someone is missing" Natsu said scratching his chin.

"That's right! Where is Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto said as everyone looked each other.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Kakashi-san since we split up. Where is he? He might be hurt, we need to find him!" Lucy said worried.

"Did someone call my name?" a voice was heard. Everyone turned towards the direction that the voice was heard and saw Kakashi coming from behind the trees, caring the rouge shinobi on his shoulders.

"Kakashi-san! You're okay!" Lucy yelled happily.

"Kakashi-sensei! Late as always" Naruto said.

"Sorry about that, this guy is quite heavy. Not only that, he also attempted to blow himself up. I was barely able to make it in time and knock him out" Kakashi said as he left the unconscious shinobi against a tree, while at the same time he threw away a half burned piece of paper. "Oh, it seems we have quite a commotion here" he continued as he walked towards the group and looked around. "I see the back up team has finally arrived. Naruto, Lee, Neji, and Sasuke? What kind of team is that?" Kakashi said as he tilted his head with wonder.

* * *

><p>The mages and the shinobi sat on the ground as Kakashi tried to analyze the situation.<p>

"So, here we have the mages from Fairy Tail, and the back up team of shinobi that came from Konoha. We also have this girl, who is sitting really close to Erza" everyone's eyes turned to Honoko, who shifted a little uncomfortably with a slight blush "and that guy over there, who is lying next to that tree and seems to be sleeping" Kakashi continued as everyone looked at Kenji, who was lying under a tree.

"Hey, bite me old man! It's been a hard day" Kenji said.

"Sure, a hard day for everyone. It seems like we all had some tough battles. But before we move on, we need a small brief on what has happened so far since the moment we split. Erza, can you quickly fill us in? We can all add our stories if necessary, but we should better speak one at a time" Kakashi suggested. Erza nodded in agreement.

"It's simple actually. We all somehow got separated from each other and each of us ended up fighting with a member of the Black Crows, the elite team of Black Wing. Everyone somehow won, but then their Regeneration Seal activated and made the situation difficult for us. Sigmund the Vanguard, another member of the guild, also joined the fight, attacking even one of his own allies, but we managed to win again with help from the shinobi of Konoha. For that, we thank you" Erza said seriously.

"It's okay. I asked for your help in the first place" Kakashi responded.

"It's not only that. As I understand, both parties have helped each other in the battles. We both owe gratitude to each other" Neji added seriously.

"That seems about right. And I suppose, those two are members of Black Wing?" Kakashi said with some surprise, as Honoko shifted uncomfortably in her seat again, and Kenji opened his eyes and sat up.

"Honoko and Kenji are no longer considered enemies. Honoko defended me against Sigmund, and Kenji lead Natsu to Lucy and then brought everyone here" Erza said with certainty as Natsu, Lucy, Lee and even Neji nodded in agreement.

"Aye! They are good guys now" Happy said.

"Thank you, everyone" Honoko said relieved.

"I see. That's good then" Kakashi said lightly. "If only that happened more often in our world too" he thought.

"All that's left now is the guild master" Natsu said.

"The guild master?" Lee said with wonder.

"The leader of the guild. Kinda like the Kage in the shinobi villages. However there are several guilds, more than the shinobi villages, so I guess that not all guild masters are just as strong" Kakashi said thoughtfully.

"That's probably true, but some guild masters are really strong" Lucy said.

"Aye! Some of them are Wizard Saints like our master, or the master of Blue Pegasus" Happy added.

"And the guild masters of strong dark guilds are always powerful, like Master Zero" Natsu said seriously.

"So, the guild master of this guild is probably also strong" Sasuke concluded.

"That's an understatement" Kenji said.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Kenji, that's enough! I don't think we should talk anymore" Honoko said hastily, with a hint of fear.

"It doesn't really matter anymore, Honoko. I don't think that you and I are considered Black Wing, anymore. He probably knows that we helped our supposed enemies. Somehow, he seems to know everything that goes on in this forest. So, I don't think that talking more will make things any worse for us" Kenji said with a bitter laugh.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you" Kakashi reassured him. "Now, what can you tell us about him?" he continued.

"Protect us? That's a nice offer, even if kinda unlikely. Anyway, there's not much that I can tell you. It's not like he has informed us about his powers. All I can tell is that he is unlike any of us. He is at least one class above, if not more. And it's not only his power, it's also his voice. It's like he can look inside your dreams, your fears and you doubts and use them. I don't think that strength alone is enough to defeat him" Kenji said.

"Sounds like a troublesome guy" Gray said.

"That Jinrei guy also warned us. He told us to avoid him" Lucy said with a hint of worry.

"Whatever. I'll just beat him up, just like the other one" Natsu said decisively, as he pumped his fists.

"That's the reason we came all the way here. We can't back down now" Erza agreed.

"Erza, I'm not sure if this is a good idea" Honoko said.

"It's fine. We'll help you too!" Naruto said with a smile.

"Of course we will! Right, Neji?" Lee said with enthusiasm.

"Our mission is to assist Kakashi. If Kakashi and the mages are helping each other, then it's our mission to assist them too" Neji said with a serious expression, as he folded his arms.

"Gee, if you want to help too, then just say it. Don't sound so official about it" Naruto said with a deadpan face.

"Friends should help each other, right?" Sasuke said. The shinobi looked at him shocked.

"That's right" Gray said with a grin.

"What happened between these two?" Naruto thought surprised.

"Did Sasuke just talk about friendship?" Neji thought.

"I see. It seems like the Fairy Tail mages are starting to affect even you, Sasuke" Kakashi thought with a smile.

"This is it Sasuke-kun! That's the power of youth!" Lee yelled, excitedly.

"Okay then. We have several people here, but everyone has fought already and no one is at his best condition, so we need to be careful. We will put up a team of both mages and shinobi. I will go since I'm in charge of this mission, I'm the oldest and most experienced one, and it seems I had the least fighting today. Naruto and Natsu, you guys look in good condition as well, so you are both coming with me. Neji fought against a completely fresh opponent and so did Erza and Honoko, so you should rest. Lucy, Lee and Happy, as well as that Kenji guy, obviously need to rest. Gray and Sasuke, you also look a little better, but you should stay behind, in case there are still some mages left from the guild" Kakashi said as he, along with Natsu and Naruto got up.

"I am coming too. I am not sitting this one out, like I did with Oracion Seis last time" Gray said as he got up as well.

"Two mages and two shinobi. That sounds fair" Kakashi said.

"I think this team will be just fine" Erza said with a smile.

"How do we get there?" Kakashi said.

"Just follow that small path. After a while, it leads to a larger path that heads straight for the building of the guild" Kenji said.

"Good! I'm all fired up!" Natsu said as he pumped his fists with a grin.

"Let's go then" Kakashi said as the small group made its way through the thick forest, towards the large building.

**Author's note: ****I think this chapter is a little lighter than the previous ones. A small break from all the battles. Now, I would like to make some comments on some recent reviews I've been having lately. As I have already mentioned, in Chapter 10, the timeline for the Naruto characters is after the Hidan and Kakuzu ark and before the Itachi pursuit ark. That means, no Sage Mode for Naruto, no throwing Rasen Shuriken, and no Mangekyo Sharingan for Sasuke. That also means that while they are still strong, they are not at Kage level, not yet at least. So, I'm not sure why I would get such reviews that complain about why Naruto didn't use the Sage Mode, for example. Another thing that I heard, is that Naruto and Sasuke should end their fights in a few moves. I am not really sure where that comes from, despite their strength, Naruto and Sasuke always struggled in their fights. Naruto had to go into Four tails mode to fight with Orochimaru, and he struggled against both Kakuzu and Pain. Sasuke could barely move after his fight with Deidara,who eventually blew himself up, he nearly lost against Itachi and he had some trouble even against Danzo, although not that much with that one. So I think you get my point. If anything, I tried to make some interesting back and forth battles, without playing any favorites to either side. And something else, one of the thoughts about this story was to bring different characters together and think of their interactions, not a power contest. I hope you get what I'm trying to say. Anyway, thanks for reading the story so far. Until next time!**


	16. The path through the forest

**Author's note:**** Hey everyone! I know it has been a while, but here's the new chapter! I hope you like it. I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 16**

Kakashi, Natsu, Naruto, and Gray walked through the forest, as they headed towards Black Wing's guild building.

"I wonder what kind of guy this guild master is going to be" Natsu said casually, putting his arms behind his head.

"If he is anything like Master Zero, then he might be a problem" Gray said. "Although, those Black Crows guys were pretty tough, probably stronger than Oracion Seis, so it wouldn't be really surprising if the same goes for the guild master too" he continued, while he furrowed eyebrows.

"How strong was that Master Zero guy, exactly?" Kakashi asked, as he turned towards the mages.

"He was pretty tough. He was strong, he was fast, a little bit of a maniac too, and he had some pretty crazy moves. I had to hit him with everything I had, to take him down!" Natsu responded, vividly.

"Really? Did he fight mostly from sort range, or he preferred long rage moves?" Kakashi asked again.

"Actually, he fought from all ranges. He had a pretty strong fist, and he shot all kinds of magical blasts" Natsu said, with a grimace.

"I see. I can't say I'm surprised to hear that" Kakashi mumbled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"He sounds kinda like the guy that we fought earlier. He too, was strong in close combat, and he could also attack from a distance" Naruto said.

"I guess the way of fighting is a little different in this world. While in our world, there are those who are strong in both close and long range combat, who can use both Taijutsu and Ninjutsu effectively, most shinobi specialize in a certain way of fighting. For example" Kakashi analyzed, as he turned towards Naruto. "You, Naruto, are pretty good at Taijutsu, and you seem to be improving, and you are also developing your Ninjutsu, as well. Soon, you'll be able to use long ranged jutsu too. Gaara, on the other hand, despite how strong he is, he is more proficient in long range combat, fighting him from a close distant will give him problem. Here, they seem to have a more flexible way of fighting. We should proceed in this fight with caution" the white haired jonin concluded, while the others nodded in agreement. The small group continued its way for a while, until Naruto turned towards Gray.

"So, what kind of magic do you use?" he asked, curiously.

"Hmm? That's right, we still haven't seen each other in action. I use Ice Make magic" Gray said, as he put his hands together and created an ice made kunai.

"Ice, huh? That's pretty cool!" Naruto said, with some excitement.

"Thanks! What about you, then? Kakashi already mentioned that you are pretty good at hand to hand combat, like him and that Sasuke guy, but do you have any special moves, or something?" Gray said, as he made the kunai vanish.

"I can answer that!" Natsu responded casually. "He mostly uses that shadow clone thing that Kakashi does, only instead of one shadow clone, he creates like fifty! And he also does that other cool move, some sort of energy orb that can blow you away. I think he called it Rasenban, or something like this" he said.

"IT'S RASENGAN!" Naruto yelled. "But thanks, anyway" he added with a small sigh.

"That's good! You learn each other's abilities. It will help improve our teamwork" Kakashi nodded, approvingly.

"Still, this is a pretty hastily put together team. I'm not really sure how this is going to work" Naruto said, thoughtfully.

"Well, you and I have already teamed up. Although, I do have more experience fighting with Gray" Natsu said.

"And Naruto probably has more experience in teaming up with Kakashi. It's more like two different teams put together" Gray commented.

"Perhaps. I guess, we'll have to improvise then" Kakashi said, simply.

"And until we get to the guild, we should probably look out for any other traps" Gray suggested.

"I don't think there should be any more traps, but you are right. Let's keep our eyes open" Kakashi agreed, as he looked around.

"Come on now, it's fine! What kind of traps could have possibly be left?" Natsu said with a laugh, as he walked ahead form the rest of the team, but suddenly vanished from in front of them. The three of them heard a long yell, and them a loud thud.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Natsu tilted his head in surprise.

"Don't tell me… He fell through, there?!" Kakashi mumbled in disbelief, as they moved forward, and looked downwards.

"A hole in the ground? Really, Natsu?" Gray said while he facepalmed, as the tree of them watched Natsu twitching, at the bottom of a trap hole, dug in the ground.

"Shut up, Ice Cube!" Natsu yelled from the bottom of the hole, before he slowly climbed up.

"I thought I told you to be careful! Besides, how can you fall for such an obvious trap?" Kakashi said scratching his head, still with a tone of disbelief.

"It was a really well covered trap, okay?" Natsu yelled angrily, as smoke came from his head.

"Well, I guess that's the difference between a mage and a ninja! We are more experienced in this kind of things. We can smell a trap from a mile away!" Naruto said with a smug expression, as he put his arms behind his head, and started walking casually near a tree. Suddenly, he yelped in surprise, as he was lifted high in the air out of nowhere.

"He just fell into a net trap!" Kakashi mumbled, with a dumbfound expression.

"Seriously now?" Gray said.

"Gah, ha, ha! Take that! What happened, oh great ninja?" Natsu laughed loudly, as he put his fists on the side of his waist.

"Hey, shut up, okay? How should I know that there was another trap so close?" Naruto shot back, as he cut the net with a kunai, and landed on his feet.

"They both fell for really obvious traps!" Gray commented.

"Maybe they have, but still. To put two traps so close to each other… Even if someone avoided the first one, he wouldn't expect another one so quickly, and he would be taken by surprise. This is actually kinda smart" Kakashi said, with an impressed expression.

"Okay, I think you are thinking this way too much. Anyway, I can see a clearing over there. The main path should be close" Gray said, as he pointed at a clearing between some trees.

"You are probably right. Okay everyone, let's go. And more carefully this time" Kakashi said, as the small group made its way towards the clearing, moving under the trees, until they reached a large, clearer path.

"This must be the path that that Kenji guy was talking about. If we follow it, we should reach the guild building" Naruto said.

"All right then, let's teach that guild master a thing or two about not messing with us!" Natsu said with a grin, as the group continued its way.

"I wonder what they are doing. I hope they are okay!" Lucy said with worry, as she wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Calm down, Lucy. I'm sure everything will be fine! This is Natsu and Gray we are talking about" Erza smiled, encouragingly.

"And don't forget, Lucy-san, Naruto-kun and Kakashi-Sensei are with them! They will definitely succeed!" Lee said confidently, as he took his good guy pose with a sparkling grin. "If only I was with them" he added with a sigh.

"It can't be helped, Lee, you need to rest. Unless, you want to risk a serious injury again, like in the Chuunin exams" Neji said seriously, as he folded his arms.

"Yes, I know. You are right, Neji" Lee nodded, with another sigh.

"I wanted to be with Natsu too! What if that guild master flies?" Happy said.

"It's okay Happy, I'm sure they'll think of something" Erza said with a frown, as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Are you hurt, Erza?" Honoko asked, noticing Erza's expression.

"Not really, I'm just a little sore" Erza responded.

"You know, I could rub your back, if you wanted to. Or, give you a full body massage! That would make you feel better. I have really good hands" Honoko suggested, with a sly expression.

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. I think I'm fine" Erza said calmly.

"What's the deal with that girl? She seems to be all over Erza" Lucy mumbled, with a suspicious expression.

"Aye. I think she likes her" Happy said silently.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Lucy said shocked, causing Honoko to turn towards her, with a wondering expression.

"Are you okay there? You seem tense, perhaps you would like a massage" she said simply.

"Huh? No, it's okay! I'm feeling fine!" Lucy responded hastily, moving her hands in defense.

"Someone's coming" Sasuke suddenly said.

"I see them. There seems to be a fair number of people" Neji confirmed, having activated his Byakugan.

"So, there still some mages left" Erza said, with serious expression.

"Could it be? The guys that attacked you at the eves of the forest?" Honoko wondered. After a while, a number of mages appeared and moved towards them.

"We finally found you, Fairy Tail mages" a mage with brown, spiky hair said angrily.

"You guys just don't know when to give up, do you?" Erza said, as she got up.

"Shut up! You got us by surprise last time, but this time we'll get you!" the brown haired mage said, smugly.

"It looks like things aren't going to be as boring as I expected" Sasuke said, with a slight smile.

"They don't look like much. This should be over quickly" Neji said simply.

"So, you are the ninjas, huh? We saw you earlier, we know how you fight! We are ready for you!" another mage yelled.

"For some reason, I really doubt that" Sasuke responded, calmly.

"What a ruckus! What's all this fuss about?" Kenji said slowly, as he walked next to Sasuke and Neji. The mages looked at him, shocked.

"Kenji?! Is that really you?" the brown haired mage said, surprised.

"Of course it's me, Steve, you fool!" Kenji said.

"Steve? So, you do have a name" Erza commented, with a teasing smile.

"Of course I have! What about it?" the brown haired mage said, angrily.

"Will you stop yelling already?" Honoko said, exasperated.

"Honoko is here too? What is going on here?" Steve said, confused.

"These mages and shinobi have already defeated us. Do you think you have a chance?" Kenji said.

"They beat you? But still, that must mean that they are tired! Look at them, they can barely stand! And since you guys are here, we can take them out!" Steve said eagerly.

"No! Honoko and I are no longer members of the Black Wing! I suggest you guys leave and change your ways, or I'll have to take you down myself! Is that clear?" Kenji said with serious expression, as he raised his fist.

"What? You, are no longer part of Black Wing? Why would you- never mind! Fine, then you are enemies too! You are going to regret this, Kenji! Everyone, get them!" Steve yelled, as all the mages attacked. Kenji shook his head.

"Have it your way then" he said simply, as he attacked, followed by Sasuke and Neji. Erza prepared to attack as well, but Honoko grabbed her arm gently.

"That won't be necessary. These guys are enough, you don't need to join them. And I know that Kenji is not going to seriously hurt them. They were our comrades, after all. I'm not sure about these shinobi, or you, though" she said, calmly.

"I see. Very well, I won't attack. It's a good thing that you still show concern for them. You finally realized what it means to be part of a guild. Or more accurately, you always knew, you just need someone to remind you" Erza said, with an approving smile.

"Thank you, Erza" Honoko said, smiling as well.

"Take this!" Steve yelled, as he shot a large fire ball against Kenji, who blocked with a sweep from his arm. Steve briefly widened his eyes in shock, but quickly recovered. He surrounded his arms in flames, and attacked with quick strikes.

"Why did you abandon the guild, Kenji?" he said angrily.

"That's my business! The question is, why are you still part of the guild? Is that really what you want?" Kenji said, avoiding the strikes.

"What I want? What does that matter? I am loyal to the guild, and to Master! We follow his wishes, and he will make us strong! That's what matters!" Steve yelled, as he landed a strong punch on Kenji's face. Steve let out a triumphant yell, and landed another blow, but Kenji was able to block this one with ease.

"You fool! Is that all you want from your guild! You've always been dense, Steve, so I'll have to beat some sense into you!" Kenji roared, as he gave a strong headbutt to his opponent, causing him to step backwards, staggered.

"Follow Master's wishes? Don't you have a mind of your own? Wake up! Find a decent guild, and follow your own wishes and dreams!" he continued, as he landed a hard blow on his opponent's chin, sending him flying away and landing on the ground with a thud.

"Nice punch!" Erza commented.

"And now, the rest of you! Don't worry, I'll go easy on you" Kenji turned towards the rest of the mages, as he cracked his knuckles.

"Look at them go!" Lucy said, as Sasuke, Neji and Kenji, quickly defeated the rest of the mages.

"As I expected. This was done quickly" Neji said calmly.

"I told you I would go easy on you, guys" Kenji said casually.

"No, you didn't!" one of the mages said from the ground.

"That was easy. Let's just hope the others do well, too" Sasuke said, looking towards the small path.

The mages and the shinobi continued their way on the large path that they had taken, until the guild's building started to become visible.

"There's the building! We shouldn't be very far" Natsu said.

"Okay guys, let's pick up the pace! And be on your guard, there might be still a few traps left" Kakashi instructed, as the others nodded in agreement, and started walking at a quicker pace. The small group had nearly reached the building, without finding any other traps, until they reached another obstacle. A number of mages, about a dozen or so, was standing in front of the guild's building.

"This is as far as you go! We are not letting you inside the guild!" one of the mages yelled.

"As I thought" Kakashi mumbled.

"Move it! We don't have time for you guys!" Natsu said, angrily.

"Hey, maybe we should go. These guys have already defeated our best. What chances do we have?" one of the other mages said, with some hesitance.

"What are you talking about you fool? We have direct orders from Master not to let anyone inside the guild! Or perhaps, you would like to go back inside, and tell him your objections yourself! How does that sound?" the first mage said.

"No, no, it's fine! I'm fine!" the other mage stammered, as he shook his head vividly, with a terrified expression.

"What's with that reaction? Is their guild master really such a fearsome person?" Kakashi thought.

"Didn't think so. Now everyone, get them!" the first mage commanded, as all the mages attacked.

"They are asking for it" Naruto said.

"If they want a fight, then let's give them one!" Natsu said as he attacked, followed by Naruto and Gray, and quickly defeated their opponents.

"These guys were pretty much as strong as those other guys that attacked us before, not to mention that they were much fewer. There was no way they could beat us" Gray said, as he looked at the lying mages.

"And yet they attacked. Their guild master should have known that they would fail, but he told them to attack anyway" Naruto growled, clenching his fist.

"That jerk! Now I want to beat him up even more!" Natsu yelled, angrily.

"Calm down, everyone. Maybe that's all part of his plan. He probably wants us to get angry, not think straight and make rush moves. Or maybe he thought that this fight would tire us even more. Either way, we should remain focused" Kakashi said calmly, as they got inside the large building. Inside, the building was darker than they expected, the only source of light was coming from some torches on the walls. The small group walked further inside, their footsteps echoing in the large room, and moved past the empty tables, that gave a strange feeling of desertion. On two of the pillars that supported the roof, and the upper level of the building, were carved some strange looking statues, which seemed to be watching them with their gleaming eyes.

"Well, that's a friendly environment" Kakashi commented, looking around.

"The air around here seems strangely chilling" Gray said.

"You are feeling cold?!" Natsu said, with a shocked expression.

"It's not like the frosty wind of the mountains or cold weather, this is something different. It feels chilly, in a strange, sinister way. You can feel it too, can't you?" Gray explained.

"Yeah, I know what you mean" Natsu said.

"These statues look really strange. It's as if they are watching us" Naruto said, as he examined the strange statues. Suddenly, the doors shut down with a loud thud, making the room even darker, and causing everyone to turn towards the exit.

"I guess the only way in, huh?" Kakashi said calmly. Before he could finish his thoughts, the noise of stones rubbing together was heard, as the statues from the pillars started moving.

"The statues! I knew there was something funny about them!" Naruto said.

"These statues look pretty sturdy. This might be troublesome" Kakashi said, shaking his head. " Everyone, get ready!" the white haired jonin instructed with a louder voice, as they took their battle stances.

"It looks like this guild master is in a mood for games! And these are some pretty big statues!" Gray said with grin.

"I guess we'll have to introduce them to Fairy Tail's specialty. Smashing things!" Natsu grinned as well, as he cracked his knuckles. The large statues landed on the floor with a loud thud. They were nearly ten feet tall, made of hard, gray stone, and they looked like heavily armored guardians. In addition, some parts were covered with extra layers of steel and all of them were wielding heavy weapons on each hand. The statues attacked quickly, and the shinobi and the mages dodged, and broke towards different directions.

"Natsu, Gray, you guys take that one! Naruto and I, will take the other one that is closer to us" Kakashi yelled, as the statues moved towards the small groups.

"Fine by us! Are you ready, Stripper?" Natsu said.

"Ready when you are, Hot Pants!" Gray responded.

"Okay, here I go then. Karyu no Tekken!" Natsu yelled as he attacked, surrounding his fist in bright flames, and landing a hard blow on the statue, which didn't seem to get any direct damage.

"This is one hard statue" Natsu commented, as he jumped backwards.

"Let me try. Ice Make, Battleaxe!" Gray yelled, as he attacked with a large, ice made, double axe, which crashed on the statue, and shattered without doing any damage.

"That's not good" Gray mumbled, as the two mages dodged another swing from the statue's long sword. Meanwhile, Naruto had created a number of shadow clones, who attacked one after the other. The stone statue however, didn't even flinch, instead, it destroyed all of the shadow clones with a swing from its axe.

"As I thought. These statues are as hard as they look" Naruto said, without looking surprised.

"Quickly, catch this! If we bring it down, then it's as good as defeated" Kakashi said. as he took out his steel wire, and threw one end at Naruto. The two shinobi then started moving swiftly around the stone statue, binding its legs with the still wire, and pulling tightly. The statue though, simply broke the wire, and spun its upper body above the waist, attacking with both of its weapons, a large axe and a long pike.

"Well, it was worth a shot. We need another plan" Kakashi said, simply.

"I've thought of something. Simple, but it should work" Naruto said. Natsu and Gray, on the other hand, still seemed to have some trouble with their statue.

"This thing is not only hard, it's also faster than it looks" Natsu said, evading another swing from the sword.

"They are not simply durable because they are made from stone and steel, they are also reinforced with magic!" Gray noticed, as he dodged himself.

"We need to somehow combine our moves. Watch out, Natsu!" he quickly yelled, as the statue suddenly threw its long spear against Natsu, who was barely able to dodge.

"Gah! That was close!" Natsu panted shocked, with wide eyes.

"Why you stupid piece of trash! Ice Make, Hammer!" Gray yelled angrily, as he shot a large, ice made hammer which landed on the statue's head, and seemed to leave it staggered.

"Good shot! Now it's my turn! Karyu no, Hoko!" Natsu yelled, as he shot a blast of intense flames, which crashed on the large statue. It was momentarily surrounded in the intense flames, causing the steel parts to become hot, taking a bright red color. Gray also noticed a few cracks.

"Heh, so these things do break, after all! We just need to focus our attacks" he grinned, as he charged his magic.

"Take this! Ice Make, Lance!" he yelled, as he shot a barrage of long, ice made spears, which were all directed at a particular spot on the statue's chest. The statue slightly stepped backwards from the barrage, as the ice made spears all crushed on the same spot, leaving a visible crack.

"Natsu!" Gray yelled, turning towards his partner.

"I see it! Karyu no, Kenkaku!" Natsu yelled, as he was surrounded in bright flames, and charged forward with great speed, aiming at the crack and landing head first on the stone made statue, smashing it completely.

"We got it!" Gray said, raising his fist with a satisfied smile.

"Let's go, Naruto!" Kakashi said decisively.

"Yes, sir!" Naruto said, as both of the shinobi drew a kunai each, and infused with their chakra. The shinobi then, shot their enhanced weapons at the same time, aiming with accuracy. The wind infused kunai and the lighting infused kunai both found their target, and impaled the statue in the chest.

"Raikiri!" Kakashi said sharply, as he dashed forward, surrounding his hand with blue lighting, and driving it through the statue, further increasing the crack.

"It's all yours, Naruto! Finish it off!" he said, as he jumped back.

"Got it! Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, as he crashed his blue sphere against the statue, smashing it to rubble.

"That takes care of it" Kakashi said.

"Damn! This thing was really hard!" Natsu groaned, rubbing his head.

"Did you really have to hit with your head?" Naruto said, with a deadpan expression.

"Still, these statues were much harder than they should be. Not to mention, too fast for their size. It would take some pretty strong magic, to make them like this" Gray said thoughtfully, looking at the rubble.

"I see what you mean. That was the guild master's work for sure. Which, doesn't really seem very encouraging for us. We should be more careful" Kakashi said, with a serious tone in his voice.

"Why didn't those two other mages warn us about that? They were part of the guild, weren't they?" Naruto said, with a suspicious expression.

"It does look suspicious, but maybe they didn't know about it. Just like they didn't seem to know a lot about their guild master, in the first place. This is a dark guild, after all. Trust, is not something that you can find easily" Gray responded.

"Someone's coming!" Natsu suddenly said, as the four of them turned towards the stairs, only to see someone approaching them. A dark figure, barely visible at first, which became a little clearer as he walked down the stairs, and stood on top of them.

"Is that, him? The guild master?" Naruto said.

"It has to be" Gray said, clenching his fists.

"Everyone get ready! It's time to do this" Kakashi said decisively, pulling his headband and revealing his Sharingan, as they all took their fighting stances. The final battle, was about to begin.

**Author's note: ****This chapter was for Kakashi's team to bond a little better, before the battle against the guild master, and I think it had some action, and a couple of funny scenes as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will come out soon. Until next time!**


	17. Darkness Ascends

**Author's note:**** New update, everyone. I hope you like it. I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 17**

The shinobi and the mages stood ready, as the guild master remained idle on the stair way. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, in order to get a better look at their opponent; the only thing that he could tell, was that he was tall. Other than that, he was covered with a black cloak, and his face was almost completely covered by a heavy hood.

"I've been expecting you, young mages, and shinobi from another land" the guild master said, with a slow but clear voice.

"Really? Is that why you prepared a welcome comity?" Kakashi said, looking at the shattered statues.

"You didn't expect to simply walk into my guild like that, did you? Besides, I didn't think that my stone guardians would give you much trouble. You did defeat my best, after all" the hooded mage said, with a low chuckle.

"So, you are the guild master? Then all we have to do is beat you up, and this battle is done!" Natsu said with confidence, as he pumped his fists.

"Beat me up? So confident, so rash, and so foolishly ignorant!" the hooded mage's voice was almost a whisper, as he let another laugh.

"First things first. You found the guild surprisingly easy, considering that you don't know the forest very well. Kenji, Honoko, I suppose I should expect that. It's a shame though, both of them had potential" the guild master said, as if talking to himself, before he continued with a louder voice. "No matter, I'll just have to replace them with someone more, capable" he finished, with a smirk.

"What do you mean? Replace them with whom?" Kakashi said, alerted.

"With all of you, of course!" Master Sid said, with a gleam in his eyes.

"With us? What is that guy talking about?" Naruto said, with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"He is a complete lunatic!" Gray shook his head.

"I don't know what you are blabbering about, but I won't listen to this non sense anymore!" Natsu said, angrily.

"Don't be so hasty, young mage" the hooded mage said with a calm voice, as he raised his hand. "Why else would you be here? I always look for strong mages, to join my guild. Honoko got easily carried away with feeble feelings, like friendship and admiration. And Kenji lacked the will to achieve his true power. But you are different. I can see some real thirst for power in you. And I can also sense darkness, and hate in you! This is where real power exists!" Master Sid said, with a louder voice.

"Darkness? Hate? The shinobi world is full of hate. It is the result of the constant fighting between the great Hidden Villages. Can this guy actually look at our thoughts? Or it was just a lucky guess, and he is simply trying to shake us?" Kakashi thought, intensely.

"What the heck are you talking about? A mage's power comes from his emotions! For Fairy Tail, our friends are our power! The will to fight with them, to protect them, this is what gives us strength! THIS IS THE TRUE POWER OF MAGIC!" Natsu said, with passion.

"Yes, I know how Fairy Tail thinks. I know what Makarov has taught you, young mages. Makarov is a great mage, there is no doubt about that, but he is a complete fool when it comes to true power" Master Sid responded, with a calm voice.

"Don't you ever dare talk about Gramps like that again!" Gray yelled, furiously.

"Calm down, Gray" Kakashi said with a steady voice, as he put his hand on the mage's shoulder.

"You think I am mistaken? Friendship, love, comradeship, all these are feeble and weak feelings that people use to make them feel good, and cover their own weakness. They pretend that they make them strong. They are just fooling themselves! Anger, fear, hate, rage, this is where true power lies! And you all know that well, don't you?" the guilds master said, as he raised his finger towards the small group.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi said slowly.

"When is it when you show your true power? Is it when you feel friendship? Of course not! It's when you feel anger, when your rage takes over! When you feel this rush, filling you up, and want nothing else than to destroy your enemy! This is when one's true power awakens! DARKNES IS THE TRUE ESSENCE OF MAGIC!" Master Sid said with a loud voice that echoed through the hall, as he raised his hand, and at that moment, everyone noticed his glowing, yellow eyes.

"This guy is a maniac!" Naruto mumbled.

"You want proof? You, Dragon Slayer, how do you think you defeated Zero? You know the answer well, don't you? It was your rage that unleashed your true power! And you, Shinobi, you know really well the power that hate has. You have both felt it and experienced it; it is what rules over your world!" Master Sid said intensely. Natsu clenched his fists, while Naruto looked with a serious expression.

"So, this what those guys meant, when they said that the guild master could see inside your dreams and fears. Somehow, he can see inside our thoughts, our feelings, and our doubts, and he is using them against us. I'm not sure how he does this, but it's probably part of his magic" Kakashi thought, worriedly.

"This is it, you understand now, don't you? This is the reason why you came here, there can be no different outcome. Join me, and I will show you the true nature of magic, where real power exists. Join me, and I will show you your true potential!" Master Sid raised his hands, in a welcoming gesture.

"Guys, don't listen to this guy! He is just trying to confuse us!" Gray yelled.

"Gray is right, stay focused! Don't forget, this is still a fight!" Kakashi said, with a warning tone.

"He's just trying to mess with us. What a dirty trick!" Naruto said angrily.

"This will be a fight, only if you choose to. My offer is real" Master Sid said.

"GET LOST! We are not interested in anything you have to say! There is no way we are going to join a guild, where the guild master doesn't even care about his own mages!" Natsu yelled, furiously.

"Besides, I can't stay here. There are things I still need to do. Maybe, I'll pay a visit again at some point, but after I become the Hokage!" Naruto said with a confident smile.

"I've also grown tired of this forest. It's about time we finish this and go back home, to Fairy Tail!" Gray said with a grin. Kakashi looked at their confident faces, and smiled under his mask.

"Well, I guess I will have to agree with these guys. I've also kinda missed Konoha" he said simply.

"Is that so?" Master Sid said, slowly.

"That's right! And now, it's time to show you what happens when you talk down on Fairy Tail!" Natsu said.

"Are you threatening me, young mage?" Master Sid said, with a cold voice.

"Consider that a warning!" Natsu responded.

"Foolish kids! If you are not going to join me, then you will be destroyed" Master Sid said, as he shot a blast of dark blue lightning that crushed on Natsu, sending him rolling on the floor.

"Natsu! This guy!" Gray said angrily, as Naruto and he helped Natsu back on his feet.

"That jerk! Wait until I get him!" Natsu growled.

"Soon, you will realize your mistake. Now you will see the full power of the dark side!" Master Sid said, with a threatening voice.

"Everyone, be on your guard!" Kakashi instructed, as the guild master was surrounded by a dark aura.

"This blast right now, was that lightning? He attacked so fast, we could barely react! He really is strong, after all. We should better be careful around him" the white haired jonin thought, trying to come up with a plan. Just then, he noticed a bright red figure passing swiftly beside him, and it took him a moment to realize that it was fire.

"Natsu, wait! What are you doing?" he yelled, as Natsu leapt forward while roaring, and attacked, surrounding his fist in bright flames. His fiery fist, however, stopped just inches away from the guild master's face, as if it fell on a magical barrier.

"What's this?" Natsu said, surprised, as he tried to punch through the magical barrier.

"Foolish mage, did you really think you could get me with such a reckless attack?" the hooded mage chuckled, as he pushed Natsu back with the force of his magic.

"Damn it! I'll get him next time" Natsu said, as he got back on his feet.

"Don't just attack like that without thinking, Natsu! We need a plan!" Kakashi said.

"Hah, don't think you can defeat me just like you defeated Brain, boy! Brain was strong, but he couldn't control his own strength. That's why he tried to restrain himself, binding his power with a magical seal, and connecting himself with the other members of his guild. But when the seal broke, his true power was unleashed, at the expense of his own sanity. He became Zero, a powerful but insane mage, who sought nothing but destruction. I am not like this. I am not controlled by my magic, I control it! And, it's not only this. I am stronger than Zero" Master Sid said, as he raised his hands, which were surrounded by lightning. Some of the tables started floating around him, and with a wave of his hands, they all flew against Kakashi and his team. The shinobi and the mages dodged by jumping out of the way, and broke through the rest of the tables that didn't crush on the floor.

"Watch out!" Kakashi warned, as Master Sid leapt from the stair way, floated in the air with his dark cloak waving around him, and landed among them, knocking everyone down with a wide spread blast.

"Damn it, I can't move" Natsu groaned, as he, Naruto, and Gray, tried to get back on their feet, feeling paralyzed from the sudden attack. Kakashi was able to jump backwards, and even though he had been stricken too, he took less damage than the others, and got up faster. He then attacked with a flurry of swift strikes, which Master Sid was able to dodge with ease. Kakashi continued his attack with a number of hard blows, followed by a roundhouse kick, which the guild master was able to dodge again by ducking, and then jumping fluently in the air. He landed briefly on the side of a pillar, and he jumped again, evading another hard strike that made a hole on the pillar.

"How can he move like this? He's not only fast, he also moves unpredictably, like he is floating in the air. Even with my Sharingan, I have some trouble following his moves" Kakashi thought.

"Is that all? Come on, I know you can do better than this!" Master Sid provoked, with a small chuckle.

"I certainly can" Kakashi responded simply, as she focused, and charged forward, attacking with a hard spinning kick, followed by a second, swifter strike. The guild master was able to dodge the first kick, but not the second one, instead he raised up his arms, and blocked it. Kakashi used his momentum, and continued with a swift combination of strikes, which the guild master was able to block, and attacked with a number of strikes of his own. The white haired jonin dodged skillfully, pulled one of his kunai from his vest, and attacked with a swift slash. Master Sid was able to dodge again, causing the kunai to slash through the edge of his cloak. The guild master then surrounded his fist with lightning and landed a hard blow, which Kakashi was able to block, but he was pushed back from the force of the strike, dropping his kunai.

"That was a hard hit" Kakashi thought, surrounding his hand in lightning. "Raikiri!" he said sharply, as he attacked with his signature move, but the guild master was able to evade again, even though narrowly this time, by moving on the side. "That was a close one. I almost got him" Kakashi thought, as the hooded mage was getting ready to attack again.

"Not bad! Now, it's my turn. Lightning Claw!" Master Sid said, as he surrounded his hand with dark blue lightning, and hit Kakashi swiftly, with a claw like sweep.

"Argh!" Kakashi groaned, as he took a few steps back, holding his mid section.

"Darkness Shock!" Master Sid yelled, as he shot a blast of purple lightning, which surrounded Kakashi and struck him relentlessly.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled worriedly, as Kakashi fell on his knee panting, but slowly got up.

"What's with that move? I feel numb, I can hardly move" he mumbled, as the guild master moved slowly towards him. However, Kakashi suddenly lashed forward, surprising his opponent, and landing a hard blow on his opponent's face, causing him to take a few steps backwards. Kakashi continued his attack with another hard blow, but this time, the hooded mage blocked the strike by raising his arm.

"Lightning Crusher!" he said, as he shot a powerful blast of black lightning at point blank, sending Kakashi crashing on the ground.

"That bastard!" Natsu growled, trying to get back on his feet, as the guild master approached the panting Kakashi, slowly.

"Hatake Kakashi! So far from home, fighting a battle that is not yours, one you could avoid. Have you wondered, why you came to this land?" Master Sid said, with a slow voice.

"Oh, you are in a mood to talk? I came here because it was part of my mission" Kakashi said, as he slowly got on his knees.

"Your mission was to travel through worlds? Or it was a mistake that brought you here? Oh, I know very well, young shinobi. I can sense your doubt, your fear. This is a new world for you, one that you do not fully understand, and this is a battle different from the many battles you have given so far. If you had done your mission correctly, if you had caught that rogue shinobi, if you had stopped him from crossing the bridge through worlds, you probably wouldn't even be here. Your precious students wouldn't be here, and those mages that you came to care about, wouldn't be here either. They would come later, and they would fight better prepared, but they rushed to help you, without being ready. And this is not the first time that someone pays for your mistakes, is it?" Master Sid said with his heavy voice, as Kakashi looked up with a shocked expression. All he could see under the large hood, was a pair of glowing, piercing, yellow eyes, and a cold smile, and that shook him even more.

"You, have no idea what you are talking about!" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Oh, but I think I do! Your friends were lost because of your mistakes, your master was lost because you couldn't protect him. The team you were in charge for fell apart, and your precious apprentices were scattered because you weren't a good master. Those were all your failures that you still blame yourself for. Failures that happened because you either cared too much, or you didn't care enough. Either way, caring was the problem. Remember what drove you to success? Remember when you weren't bothered with foolishness like love or friendship, when you were cold and all you felt was hate? This is what made you special, what made you who you are! You still feel this, I can sense it! Embrace this feeling, Hatake Kakashi, let the hate flow you! Join me, and show your true potential. You have already achieved greatness, but if you let go of all these feelings that keep you grounded, you will rise even higher" Master Sid said, as he raised his hand in an inviting gesture. Kakashi didn't answer. His mind was filled with thoughts, all of his regrets, all of his doubts came rushing back, and made it hard to concentrate. He clenched his fist, trying to focus. Until, among all his thoughts, all the images that flooded his mind, came a simple image that brought light in the shadows of his doubt. A simple image that helped him calm down, and sigh in relief, the picture that they had taken when Team 7 was first made. His picture with his students, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. The team that gave him new purpose in his life, new people to care about, and new reason to get stronger and move on. The team he thought was lost, but it had slowly started to get back together. Yes, he had done a lot of mistakes. But he had learnt from them, he had done a lot of good since then, and he still had a lot of things to accomplish. Kakashi smiled, under his mask.

"You sure can talk a good game. But, I think I'll pass. Maybe I can still achieve, how did you say it, greatness. But I will do it on my own terms, and only to help those who are important to me. This is the kind of greatness, that I want to accomplice" the white haired jonin said firmly, as he stared at the guild master's gleaming eyes.

"Is that your answer? This is too bad. If you are not going to join me, then you will be destroyed" Master Sid said, as he surrounded his hand with lightning. Suddenly, he leapt back, as Natsu, Naruto, and Gray, jumped forward, and stood in front of Kakashi.

"Are you okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, I just let my guard down. It seems it might take me a while to move again" Kakashi responded, panting.

"It's fine, we'll take it from here" Natsu said, as he pumped his fists.

"And we'll do it as a team!" Naruto added.

"I see that you are finally up, and you seem pretty spirited. Good, in that case, it's about time I get serious too" the guild master said, as he moved his hand, and took off his heavy, black cloak with a swift move, throwing it high in the air, and showing his face. His straight, long, silver gray hair, reached a little bellow his broad shoulders, and two long, spiky strands framed his features. He was dressed in black robes, with a crimson pattern, and wore heavy, black boots. His eyes had a bright, yellow shade, and seemed to be constantly glowing, as he grinned widely, showing his white teeth, and his unusual sharp fangs. He looked like someone who was quite good looking, but whose features have been strangely affected and altered, not by old age, but by dark and sinister forces.

"Come on then, young shinobi and mages. Show me the power of your teamwork!" Master Sid said loudly, as he surrounded himself in a dark aura, more intense than before.

"So, this is his true strength? This might be troublesome" Gray mumbled.

* * *

><p>Erza looked towards the sky with a worried expression.<p>

"Is everything okay, Erza?" Lucy asked.

"I'm not sure. I have some sort of, strange feeling" Erza said.

"It does seem like it has suddenly gotten chilly around here" Honoko commented, as she rubbed her arms.

"This feeling. Master Sid must be getting serious" Kenji said, with a serious expression.

"This is because of the guild master?" Lucy said, surprised.

"Neji, can you see anything?" Sasuke turned towards the brown haired shinobi.

"Not really. It's strange; I can see clearly where the guild is. But I can't see anything that's happening inside. It's like some sort of barrier is blocking me" Neji said, as he activated his Byakugan.

"It's Master's magic. This is what's preventing your sight. Those guys better give everything they got, if they want to win this fight" Kenji said.

"Don't worry guys! I'm sure everything is going to be all right! We just need to trust our friends!" Lee said with confidence.

"Lee-san is right! Those guys will definitely make it!" Lucy added, confident as well.

"Natsu will surely beat that guy! And the others too!" Happy said with a spirited voice.

"It's fine, Erza! Everything will be okay" Honoko said with a reassuring expression, as Erza simply nodded, with a small smile.

"Everyone, do your best!" she thought, as she looked towards the direction of the guild.

* * *

><p>"Karyu no, Tekken!" Natsu yelled, as he attacked with his fist surrounded in bright flames.<p>

"You won't reach me this time either, Dragon Slayer!" Master Sid said, as he raised his hand and created another magical barrier. Natsu was pushed away again by the force of the barrier, but Naruto and Gray attacked together, both of them landing a hard punch, which the guild master blocked by raising his arms. The mage and the shinobi then continued with a number of swift strikes, but the grey haired mage was able to dodge and block their strikes, and landed a hard blow on Gray's chin, sending him flying backwards. Naruto attacked with a swift strike, but Master Sid side stepped, grabbed his arm and used his own momentum to throw him away. At that moment, Natsu charged with another fiery punch, but Master Sid was once again faster and moved aside, causing him to miss. Master Sid then grabbed Natsu by his throat and raised him effortlessly with one hand.

"Ready for a ride, boy?" he laughed mockingly, as he tossed the pink haired mage right on Gray who was about to attack, sending both mages crushing on the ground. The gray haired mage then, ducked out of the way, avoiding a swift, roundhouse kick from Naruto, who continued with a number of quick strikes.

"Not bad! You shinobi are really proficient, at hand to hand combat" he said, as Naruto gave another strike, barely missing, and leaving himself temporarily open. The guild master used that opening, and landed a hard knee on Naruto's mid section, causing him to groan in pain, and roll on the ground.

"Why you!" Natsu roared angrily, as he finally landed a fiery punch on his opponent's face, who moved backwards. The pink haired mage continued with a barrage of hard blows, followed by strong, fiery kick, causing the guild master to take a few more steps backwards, seemingly dizzy. Natsu leapt in the air, and gave another kick, but the guild master grabbed him by his leg, and slammed him on the ground. Natsu remained there, stunned, as the guild master surrounded his hand with black lightning, and was about to strike him, when Gray interfered, landing a strong punch on him, and stopping his attack. Naruto followed quickly with a swift dropkick, sending the guild master skidding backwards.

"Kage Bunshin, no Jutsu!" Naruto said, as he formed a hand seal. The guild master opened his eyes in mild surprise, as he found himself surrounded by several shadow clones, who all attacked one after the other. The shadow clones landed a number of coordinated and synchronized kicks, causing the guild master to rise in the air with each kick that landed, until he was fairly high in the air.

"My turn!" Gray said, as he gained momentum from two shadow clones, and leapt towards the guild master. "Ice Make, Hammer!" he yelled, as he created a large, ice made hammer, grabbed it by the pommel, and smashed it on his opponent with great force, sending him crashing against a nearby wall.

"Karyu no, Hoko!" Natsu yelled, as he shot a large blast of bright flames, on the same spot, causing a strong explosion, as Gray landed on his feet.

"Nice combination! Good teamwork, guys!" Kakashi thought, with a satisfied expression, but his eyes remained fixed on the spot where the guild master had crashed, which was still covered with fallen debris and thick smoke.

"Did that get him?" Naruto said, with some uncertainty.

"We shall see" Gray responded, at the three of them remained on their guard. After a few moments, a silent laugh was heard, and Master Sid came out from the smoke, dusting his robe, seemingly unharmed.

"Not bad! That was some good teamwork" he commented simply, as the mages and the shinobi stared at him with shocked expressions.

"It can't be! Not even a scratch?" Naruto mumbled in disbelief.

"I had a feeling it would be like this" Gray said angrily.

"We'll get him with our next move!" Natsu said with confidence.

"That's right! We can still do this!" Naruto agreed, with the same expression.

"I think you have been on the offensive long enough. Now, it's my turn" Master Sid said as he raised his hand, forming a small, dark sphere with sparkles coming from it, between his fingers. "Disappear!" he said with a low voice, as he opened his palm, shooting the dark sphere, which moved at a great speed, moved among the small group, and exploded, creating a huge blast. The shinobi and the mages groaned in pained, as they were swept away by the terrible explosion, which covered everything in dark energy, and caused a part of the building to collapse. Even Kakashi who was further from the point of strike, tried to cover himself, as he was swept away by the blast. Master Sid laughed silently, as the smoke slowly settled, revealing the shinobi and the mages lying on the ground. After a few moments, they groaned and stirred, as they slowly got back on their feet, panting.

"That was, quite a blast. Is everyone okay?" Kakashi said, as he looked around.

"Yeah, in a way" Naruto mumbled, trying to get back on remain steady.

"That hurt, damn it! What a jerk!" Natsu groaned angrily.

"We should better avoid another strike like this, next time" Gray said, as he rubbed his sides.

"You are still standing? Impressive, I would expect nothing less from mages of Fairy Tail. And you, shinobi, have proved yourselves just as tough" Master Sid commented, with an honest tone.

"Gee, that's really nice of you" Gray responded.

"It's going to take much more than this to keep us down!" Naruto said with a strong voice.

"We are not giving up!" Natsu claimed, firmly.

"Come on then, young shinobi and mages. The mayhem is only getting started" Master Sid said, surrounding himself with a dark aura. He raised his arm, and caused a dark, purple fog to appear around them, which made the very air around them feel heavy.

"What kind of magic is this? It's like the air got heavier. Damn it, how many tricks does this guy have?" Gray said angrily, clenching his fists, as they all started feeling weary, in the increased pressure.

"It's probably some trick to wear us down. We need to stay focused" Naruto said.

"We won't lose this fight! There is no way!" Natsu said decisively, as he, along with Naruto and Gray, stood steady for the fight.

**Author's note: ****It's not very often that I**** have a cliffhanger ending, but the fight with the guild master came out a little bigger than I expected. So, it will be some sort of multi chapter fight. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think about it. The next update will be a quick one too. Until next time!**


	18. Ghosts of the Past

**Author's note: ****New update! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 18**

Kakashi groaned as he tried to get back on his feet, but could hardly move.

"It looks like I'm still feeling numb, although I'm a little better than before. Still, it will take me a while, before I can join the battle again. Guys, hold on! You still have a chance, if you work together as a team" he thought, as he looked at his team. Natsu, Naruto, and Gray were still standing, although they weren't in their best condition, while the guild master stood against them, surrounded in a dark aura, with a wide grin.

"Here it goes! Ice Make, Hammer!" Gray said, as he shot a large, ice made hammer, which Master Sid simply smashed with a blast of dark blue lightning.

"Karyu no, Tekken!" Natsu yelled, as he attacked with his fist surrounded in flames, but they gray haired mage dodged again. Natsu, however, used his momentum by putting his hand on the ground, and continued his attack.

"Karyu no, Kagitsume!" he said, as he surrounded his leg in flames and landed a hard kick. Master Sid couldn't dodge this time, instead he put up his arms and blocked the kick, which sent him back skidding.

"Not bad!" he commented with a smirk. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by a bunch of shadow clones who all attacked at the same time.

"What an interesting trick!" Master Sid simply said, as he destroyed the shadow clones with another blast of lightning, covering the field with white smoke.

"Rasengan!" Naruto said, as he suddenly jumped through the white smoke, and attacked with a blue sphere. The guild master was not surprised, instead he swiftly formed a dark sphere and counter attacked. The two powerful moves clashed with force, creating a strong explosion that sent both combatants skidding backwards.

"Ice Make, Lance!" Gray said, as he shot a number of long, ice made spears, against his opponent, trying to use this temporary opening, but the dark guild master once again reacted almost instantly.

"Bolt Barrage!" he said, as he shot a flurry of dark blue spheres, which Gray and Naruto were barely able to dodge.

"Karyu no, Koen!" Natsu suddenly yelled, as he leapt in the air and shot a large flame ball, that crashed on the guild master, sending him flying upwards.

"Shadow Sphere!" Master Sid said, as he swiftly rebounded in the air and counter attacked, shooting a large dark sphere which crashed on Natsu with force, and knocked him on the ground.

"Natsu! Damn this guy, he just keeps striking back before we have a chance to regroup! Our attacks barely faze him!" Gray growled, clenching his fists.

"For the moment, we need to keep attacking until we find an opening! Fuma Shuriken!" Naruto said, as he threw a large shuriken, infusing it with his wind nature chakra, and increasing its force ant its speed.

"Ice Make, Saucer!" Gray said, as he attacked as well, shooting a large, sharp, ice made disc.

"Attacking randomly will get you nowhere, foolish youngsters! If that's all you got, you might as well give up this futile resistance!" Master Sid said with a mocking tone, as he effortlessly blasted away their attacks with his lightning. Gray, however, ran through the bolts of lightning, putting his arms together.

"Ice Make, Sword!" he said, as he created an ice made sword and attacked, but Master Sid created a crimson, straight lightning blade and blocked the strike, much to Gray's shock.

"Let's see how well you use that sword of yours, boy" the guild master said, as he pushed Gray back, and attacked with a flurry of quick strikes. Gray managed to evade and block the hard strikes, and attacked with a number of skillful strikes of his own, trying to find an opening.

"Not bad! You are pretty skilled, ice mage. But unfortunately for you, you are not fast enough!" Master Sid said, as he landed a hard strike with his blade on Gray's midsection, causing him to groan, and continued with a sweep that lifted him in the air, landing another heavy strike while he was still in midair, sending him crashing on the ground. The grey haired mage then threw the crimson blade towards Natsu who had barely gotten up, striking him straightly in the chest, and causing him to fall back on the ground, groaning.

"Well, this is feels so invigorating!" the guild master said with a laugh, as he stretched his arms, and turned towards Naruto, who was still standing. "Give up, shinobi! You cannot win this fight! Unless you want to end up rolling on the ground, like the rest of them" he said, with an evil grin.

"I won't know until I try!" Naruto said decisively, as he attacked. Master Sid blasted him away with another bolt of lightning, but Naruto simply vanished in white smoke.

"This trick again?" Master Sid mumbled, as Naruto quickly attacked him from behind.

"Rasengan!" he yelled, as he crushed the spinning, blue sphere against his opponent, slamming him on the ground. The guild master, however, simply vanished in a black fog, leaving Naruto standing in the middle of a large, glowing seal that formed on the ground.

"What?! That was a fake?" Naruto gasped in shock, as the glowing seal exploded, surrounding him in a powerful blast of lightning. Naruto cried out in pain, falling down on his knees weakly, as the guild master appeared in front of him, like a shadow.

"You are not the only one who can use deception, young shinobi. It's about time you give up" he said simply.

"I, am not, done yet!" Naruto groaned, as he struggled to get back on his feet, but was knocked back on the ground with another blast of dark blue lightning.

"You are quite stubborn, aren't you?" Master Sid said, as he attacked Naruto relentlessly with his lightning. Naruto cried out painfully as he was struck repeatedly, until he felt almost breathlessly on the ground.

"Now, Uzumaki Naruto, let us talk. You should realize by now, that you cannot win. It is pointless to continue this, and I do not wish to destroy you. Unless of course, you don't give me another choice" Master Sid said with a slow voice, as he moved closer.

"Damn it!" Naruto groaned, as he tried to get back up, but could barely move.

"No need to struggle. It is pointless, at this point. Why don't we converse, instead?" the gray haired mage suggested, almost in a polite way.

"You want to talk? Not interested!" Naruto responded, with an intense glare.

"That's a nice look! This is a good start" Master Sid though, with a satisfied smirk. "Oh, but you should be! You want power, don't you? You want to be special! You want people to notice you! And you have so much rage inside you! So much hate! I can show you how to use it. All you have to do, is give in" he said, as he raised his hand.

"You, are really starting to make me mad!" Naruto growled, angrily.

"Why is that? Is it because I'm right? You see, Uzumaki Naruto, you are special! Not only because of your skills, but also because of what lies dormant inside you. Oh yes, I know about it!" Master Sid said with a grin, as Naruto looked at him, shocked. "I can see it in your thoughts, and I can sense it inside you. Those foolish shinobi sealed such a strong spirit within you. It has such strength, such hate, but it is not truly evil. It is more like, an untamed animal. If it snaps, like it has before, it will take over your body and you will go on a rampage. Which hasn't been very helpful, has it? But if your true hate takes over, then you will have control over that spirit, and then you will truly be powerful! You will be much closer to your true potential. Don't you want that, Uzumaki Naruto?" the dark guild master said intensely, with a gleam in his eyes.

"Me, control the Kyubi? Can this guy actually show me the way?" Naruto thought for a moment, before he quickly shook his head.

"I will deal with the Kyubi on my own! Get lost, I'm not interested in anything you have to say" he snapped angrily.

"On the contrary, I believe you truly are interested in everything I have to say. Let's say for a moment, that you actually win this fight, which is pretty doubtful. What happens next? You get your friends, and you go back to your world, back to your beloved village. And what's gonna follow afterwards? You know well, what's gonna follow, don't you? You spent the past years training, getting stronger, for only one purpose. To get someone you considered a friend back to your village. You didn't even care about growing stronger to protect yourself from those who are hunting you, all you thought about was him! A friend, who abandoned you on his own free will, to seek power for his own selfish needs. And you wanted to get him back, because you made a promise to a girl that you care about, but she doesn't seem to care about you at all" Master Sid whispered, with a wicked smile.

"Stop it!" Naruto yelled, trying to cover his ears. He felt the old mage's voice getting deep inside him, his words burning inside his head, steering his doubts and fears. He felt his hate, the hate he has been bottling up for years, rising.

"And you succeeded. You managed to get your friend back. But at what cost? What is going to follow? You shall get back to the same place, you were before. You will go back to being ignored, and he will once again, be everyone's favorite! The last of the Uchiha, the genius, the prodigy! The poor kid who was left alone, and everyone, including the girl you care about so much, wants to be there for him and make him feel better, take away his loneliness. As if he is the only one who feels loneliness! But no one seems to care about you, does he?" Master Sid said with his heavy voice, letting his words sink in, and watching Naruto's reaction, before he continued.

"And you will be forgotten! Once again, you will be left alone. Like before, like your entire life. Your so called friends, will turn their back on you. Like they did before. And you will be left with nothing. You will receive not only their hate, but also something worse. Their indifference. You will be just another shinobi, your dreams, and hopes of becoming your village's leader, will be crushed. And of course, don't forget. Those who are after you, will still pursue you. But no one will care. You will be left alone to fight. Everyone shall ignore you and turn their back at you, even your own master. Your master, who didn't help you when you needed him the most, when you were just a kid, watching the other kids play, until their parents took them in, and you were left to wander alone. Your master, who always played favorites, who chose him over you, and taught him his strongest move. The master who actually taught something to you when the Uchiha boy was gone" the old mage said. Naruto turned towards Kakashi slowly, his expression reflecting his pain and his building hate.

"Naruto" Kakashi whispered, feeling his guilt burning inside him.

"There is nothing for you there, Uzumaki Naruto. Only pain and loneliness, all of these that you have felt before. You are much more talented than any of them, all those hypocrites who called you a drop out! They don't deserve to have someone like you in their village. They will call for your help when there would be no one else left, but they won't deserve it! You know that, deep inside you. This, is where your future is! You came to this fight tired, but this shows your decisiveness, despite being a foolish move. I could destroy you now, but I do not wish to. For I see a valuable ally in you. Hate reigns supreme! Join me, and be somewhere you can be appreciated! That's it, let the hate flow through you! Use your anger and your hate and make them your power!" Master Sid said loudly.

"Naruto! Snap out of it!" Kakashi yelled. Naruto remained silent, his eyes closed firmly, and his fist clenched. He took slow, deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, regain his cool. The old mage's words had made a huge impact on him, and he couldn't help but think that he was actually right, about some things. Slowly, but steady, he got up.

"You are right! I do feel hate, I do feel rage. For a long time, this is all I felt! It burned through my veins, and I just hated everyone! Everyone and everything! It wasn't fair! They all ignored me, and called me monster! They were wrong! Nobody cared, not even those whom were supposed to care. Who should care! It wasn't right!" Naruto said with a serious expression, before he took a deep breath.

"But that was before. I worked really hard to get strong, really hard to be accepted. And eventually, I was accepted. Iruka-sensei was the first to accept me, the first to save from my loneliness! And then, it was Kakashi-sensei, Ero-Sennin, Tsunade-baachan, Sakura-chan, Shikamaru, even Hinata, and everyone else! One by one, they all reached for me. Sure, maybe Kakashi-sensei did pay a little more attention to Sasuke, but I know that he cared for me. I finally have friends, and I know that they won't abandon me. Never again! They will stand by my side! My friends are waiting for me back in Konoha! And, I will become the Hokage!" Naruto claimed decisively, with a strong voice, as the guild master looked at him, with a surprised expression.

"That a boy, Naruto! I knew you would do it!" Kakashi thought, with a proud expression.

"Foolish boy. You really are stubborn, aren't you? I got to comment you though; you do have a strong resolve! I was right about you, you are special. However" Master Sid said, as he raised his hand, surrounding it with black lightning. "If that what you choose, then be destroyed" he said coldly, getting ready to strike. Naruto tried to move, but he still felt weak, so he fell back on his knees. Suddenly, two loud roars were heard, and Master Sid was sent flying backwards, after Natsu and Gray jumped in front of Naruto, and both of them punched the guild master at the same time.

"What took you guys so long?" Naruto said, with a faint smile.

"Sorry, it took us a while to get up" Gray responded, with a grin.

"But now, we'll take care of this jerk! At least, until you and Kakashi are ready to join the fun again" Natsu grinned as well, as he cracked his knuckles, and threw away the remains of his shirt, remaining shirtless but with his scarf still wrapped around him.

"He, heh, sure. It might just take me a moment to get up, though" Naruto mumbled tiredly, as he sat back on the floor, his own clothes tattered, and his jacket open, showing his fishnet shirt that he wore underneath.

"Sure, take your time! No rush" Gray said, with a hint of sarcasm.

"The Fairy Tail mages! I wondered how long it would take you to get up again. You are too much of thickheaded, reckless fools, to stay down" Master Sid said with a smirk, as he rubbed his chin.

"You are too kind! We are flattered!" Natsu commented.

"No matter though. You two will realize that your place is at my side" the dark guild master continued, with a wicked smile.

"Save your speeches!" Natsu said abruptly.

"We've already seen your trick. It's not gonna work on us" Gray added.

"Oh, but you've seen nothing yet! Now first of all, maybe I should take out one of you. I could mop the floor with both of you again, but that would be unnecessary tiring!" Master Sid claimed, with a mocking expression.

"What was that? Bring it then! I'm gonna leave the stamp of my shoe right on your stupid face!" Natsu snapped furiously, smoke coming from his ears.

"What a temper!" Naruto commented, with wide eyes.

"What a delightful offer! However, I think I'll pass. You should mind your surroundings, boy" Master Sid said, as he raised his hand which was surrounded in lightning.

"What are you talking about? Huh?" Natsu took a surprised expression, as he noticed a little too late, one of the remaining tables flying towards him at great speed, which got him on the mid section and started flying high in the air. Natsu tried to grab tightly, as the table continued its crazy flight, with increasing speed.

"You got to be kidding me!" Gray said exasperated.

"Don't tell me. Is he really gonna use that?" Kakashi mumbled, with a deadpan expression.

"What? What is going on?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Well, you see, this idiot has some sort of problem with transportation" Gray tried to explain.

"Someone get me down!" Natsu yelled desperately, as he started to get dizzy.

"What?! He gets motion sickness?" Naruto yelled, shocked.

"Yeah, something like that" Gray responded with a sigh. After a while, the table finally stopped its crazy flight and landed on the floor, with a completely incapacitated Natsu lying dizzily on top of it.

"That leaves just you and me" Master Sid said simply.

"Damn it, that was a dirty trick! Fine, I'll take you down myself!" Gray said, angrily.

"Of course you will! You, being so strong after all!" the gray haired mage said sarcastically. "Tell me, ice mage. Are you really angry that I took down your friend?" he continued with a wicked grin.

"What are you talking about?" Gray asked in wonder.

"You know very well what I'm talking about! What happened in the last mission that your guild took? Your friend was able to shine once again! He is the one who defeated Cobra, a powerful Dragon Slayer in his own right, and he also defeated Zero, the guild master of Oracion Seis, completely on his own! While you, you struggled to defeat your own opponent, not to mention that you had help. And eventually, it was your partner that gave you victory, the one who figured out your opponent's weakness" Master Sid said.

"So what? What's your point? Why do you keep mentioning things that I know?" Gray said irritated.

"My point is, that perhaps you are not so strong after all!" Master Sid said casually.

"What did you say?" Gray growled furiously.

"This is not the first time that this happened, is it? Think about your past missions. Always he was the one to shine, and you were left behind. When the guild of Phantom Lord attacked you, everyone put their faith and their trust on him. Including, the girl you care about. And eventually, he proved them right, he defeated Iron Gazille, the guild's strongest! When you found yourself in the Tower of Heaven and your precious friend needed you the most, it was he who saved her and took down Jellal, where you were simply floating safely in your bubble" the guild master said with his heavy voice.

"If I hadn't saved Natsu from that owl guy, he wouldn't be able to fight Jellal in the first place!" Gray said hastily, starting to breathe heavy. All these were thoughts and doubts that kept bothering him, now resurfacing ten times worse.

"That's true. But you could have done more, you should have done more! You could have fought yourself, but you didn't. And when Makarov's grandson went crazy, once again he was the one who defeated him and saved everyone" Master Sid continued.

"How, can you possibly know all this?" Gray stammered, in disbelief.

"You kids are like open books to me. Your feelings betray you, they show me everything. I can sense your doubt, your fear, your regrets, your anger. You know that I am right. You think of him as your rival, but he has achieved so much more than you" Master Sid stared at the dark haired mage directly, with his glowing eyes. Gray turned towards Natsu, who was beginning to stir, with an uncertain expression on his face, feeling puzzled and doubtful.

"I am not even sure if you are worth joining me! Unless of course, you prove yourself" the old mage said.

"Prove myself? To you?" Gray said, sarcastically.

"To yourself. You are the one who begins to doubt yourself. The one who uses foolishness like friendship and comradeship, to hide your own weakness. The fact that you are not enough. If you want to show your power, then fight your rival! Prove that you are stronger than him! Let your rage give you the strength you need, and strike him down!" the guild master said, intensely. Gray turned towards Natsu and walked slowly towards him, rage evident on his face.

"Gray, what are you doing?" Naruto said warningly, trying to get up. Natsu shook his head slowly, feeling still dizzy, and looked up, noticing that Gray was standing in front of him with a dark expression.

"Gray? What's going on?" the pink haired mage asked with uncertainty. Gray looked at him for a moment, with an expression that was hard to tell what he was thinking and then he grinned, turning abruptly towards the guild master.

"Ice Make, Geyser!" he said, slamming his hands on the ground, and sending a number of large, spiky blocks of ice against his opponent. Master Sid was surprised for a moment, but he quickly recovered and shot a bolt of lightning, shattering the ice blocks.

"So, you won't fight your rival" he said slowly.

"You have a point, I may be a little out of shape, lately. But that's not nearly enough to break my bonds!" Gray claimed, decisively.

"Is that so? Let's put these bonds to the test then" Master Sid said coldly, as he shot a bolt of lightning at the still recovering Natsu. Gray got in front of him, and quickly created some blocks of ice to minimize the impact of the attack, but the bolt of lightning broke through the ice blocks and crashed on him.

"Gray!" Natsu yelled, as Gray fell on the ground. He quickly got off the table, and kneeled next to him.

"I'm fine, Natsu. I just, need a moment" Gray groaned.

"That bastard! I'll beat him up for sure!" Natsu clenched his fists angrily.

"That's probably his plan. Be calm, don't fall for his tricks. And try to last for a while longer, until we can finally catch our breath" Gray said.

"I know" Natsu responded with a serious expression, as he got up and moved slowly towards the guild master.

"Hey, Gray! Don't take too long! I thought you came here for action, and not to get some sleep. The same goes for you, Naruto!" he added with a grin.

"Don't patronize me!" Naruto snapped.

"We don't want to hear that from you! Just try not to get knocked out by the time we get up. If we want to actually defeat that bastard, we need to stick together for more than five damn minutes!" Gray said.

"Perhaps. Anyway, don't get angry if I beat him before you guys can join" Natsu said casually, as he moved closer to the gray haired mage, and stood against him.

"So, Natsu Dragneel, once again you're standing alone against an opponent much stronger than you. Honestly, I can't tell if you are that confident, or that stupid!" the guild master remarked, with an almost amused expression.

"Who knows. The point is that I'm going to beat you up, like I beat the rest of them" Natsu responded.

"Don't be so hasty, young mage! Your reckless attitude might have helped you before, but it won't work this time. It should be obvious even to you, that you cannot win this fight. Especially, since you cannot even use your true power" Master Sid said, in a matter of fact way.

"My true power? Are you going to start again with this whole hate and rage stuff you've been going on about? I've already grown tired of that!" the pink haired mage said, with an indifferent expression.

"I am talking about your true power as a Dragon Slayer" Master Sid said simply.

"My what? What do you know about that?" Natsu widened his eyes in shock.

"More than you think. A powerful, Lost Magic, the power to defeat even a dragon. And at the highest level of magic, Dragon Force! A powerful form, that boosts your power immensely, lets you use your full magic from deep inside you, and allows you to defeat opponents seemingly stronger than you! And yet, it's a power you have only used by chance, a power that you can't use at will. How in the world do you expect to defeat a Dragon, if you cannot defeat a mere mage?" Master Sid said, almost in a mocking way.

"YOU! I am going to burn you to crisp!" Natsu growled furiously.

"Even if I am the one who can show you how to control this power? What has your guild offered you? Has it offered you the power you deserve? Has it showed you how to unleash it, how to control it? Has your dear guild master showed you how to control this destructive power of yours? You are a Dragon Slayer! You should be way stronger than any of those weaklings. But you are not the strongest, are you? All your guild is offering you, all that your master teaches you are insipid vagaries about love, family, and friendship! Join me, and I can show you how to use your true power! Join me, and together we shall be unstoppable! Join me, and I will show you the secrets to your power, to your true potential!" Master Sid said intensely.

"If you think you can convince me with talks about power, I think you are losing your touch! I'll find these secrets on my own! And my friends are the only power I need! I can feel then inside of me, they give me the strength to fight! They are my true power!" Natsu said, raising his fist.

"I suppose you are more naïve than I though. So be it, mage!" Master Sid said with a cold voice. Natsu got ready, as he felt the air around him getting heavier.

"Is that his magic power?" he thought.

"I gave you a chance! I gave all of you a chance to escape your fate, but you have all foolishly turned my offer down. If you are not going to join me, then you will all be destroyed" Master Sid said threateningly, with his heavy voice.

"We'll take our chances together! Karyu no, Hoko!" Natsu fired his breath attack. The guild master was surrounded by the bright flames, but he blasted them away with the force of his magic.

"Is that all? My turn now!" he said calmly, as he dashed forward at great speed, and landed a hard blow on Natsu, sending him crashing on the floor. He then created another crimson, straight, lightning blade and raised it high, ready to impale Natsu. Suddenly, he was sent flying away, after he was struck by a large block of ice. Natsu then noticed an orange figure jumping towards the guild master, and driving a blue sphere against him, sending him crushing on the ground.

"Hah! I got him this time!" Naruto said triumphantly, as he landed on his feet.

"So, you were going to defeat him before we got up, huh?" Gray said with sarcastic grin.

"Shut up, and help me stand! You guys sure took your sweet time" Natsu growled.

"Stop complaining, we are here now" Naruto said, as he and Gray helped him back on his feet.

"That was, a nice move" Master Sid mumbled, as he stood up as well. "You managed to catch me off guard. Don't count on this happening again!" the gray haired mage continued.

"Doton Doryudan!" a sharp voice was heard, as a large, stone made dragon came from the ground, and crashed on the guild master, filling the spot with rocks.

"Kakashi!" Gray said with surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto beamed, joyfully.

"Sorry guys, it took me a while to pull myself back together" the white haired jonin said, as he walked casually towards them.

"Never mind that, it took all of us a while to get back on our feet. Now that we are all here, let's finish this" Natsu said. Suddenly, there was a strong explosion. The rocks covering the guild master were smashed from the magical energy that was unleashed, and the shockwave, along with the force of the magic, caused everyone take a few steps backwards.

"So, the team is back together. Good, now I'll be able to finish all of you at once. I will end this pointless struggle with one move! Behold, the power of darkness!" Master Sid roared, as he surrounded himself with an intense dark aura, and raised his hand. A huge, dark sphere was created above him, destroying almost the entire upper level of the building.

"What is this?" Gray mumbled, with a shocked expression.

"This doesn't look good" Naruto said, worriedly.

"Whatever! We can still do this if we stick together!" Natsu said decisively.

"This doesn't seem encouraging. But, Natsu is right! We all need to stand together! This fight is about to end, one way or another" Kakashi said, as the shinobi and mages stood together, ready to finish the battle.

**Author's note: ****I've been thinking for a while about the fight with the guild master, and I wanted to do a character who wasn't only strong, but who was also cunning, and could play some mind games, as well. I hope I did this well. ****The fight will be concluded in the next chapter, which will be a quick update too. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time.**


	19. Mages and Shinobi

**Author's note:**** The new chapter is up! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 19**

The team of the mages and the shinobi stood firmly against the powered up guild master.

"This isn't good! What are we going to do now?" Gray said, staring at the giant, dark sphere.

"What's with this crazy magic? This will not only finish us, it will obliterate the entire forest! Has he completely lost his mind?" Natsu yelled, between his teeth.

"We need to stop him, somehow! There has to be something we can do!" Naruto said, trying to come up with an idea. Kakashi didn't talk, instead he remained silent, and closed his eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto said, with some uncertainty.

"Be quiet for a while, guys. I need to focus" Kakashi responded, furrowing his eyebrows in tension.

"Your struggle ends here! Disappear into oblivion!" Master Sid roared, as he moved his arm in front of him, sending the giant, dark sphere against them.

"Here it comes!" Gray said.

"Just a while longer! I almost got it!" Kakashi thought, intensely.

"Is he trying to do what I think he is?" Naruto thought. The dark sphere was now so close, that they could almost feel its heat.

"We cannot let this hit the ground! I'll try to eat it!" Natsu said, as he moved closer.

"Don't be an idiot! This isn't going to work! Let's just hit it with everything we have!" Gray yelled, grabbing his arm.

"Everyone! Stand back!" Kakashi commanded decisively, as he walked ahead of the others.

"What is he doing?" Natsu said, as the giant orb was now only inches away. Kakashi remained idle for a few seconds, before opening his left eye, revealing his Sharingan. Only this time, it looked different than before. The pupil was still red, but instead of the three black tomoe around it, it had three stretched triangles spaced around the red pupil, that each curve at the top around the eye formed a circle, giving a design similar to a pinwheel.

"Mangekyou Sharingan! Kamui!" Kakashi said sharply, activating his Mangekyou Sharingan and using his powerful jutsu. The air around the giant sphere, seemed to distort in a strange way, forming some sort of vortex which sacked it in, and after a few moments, it completely vanished before them.

"That's it!" Kakashi said, signing in relief.

"Huh?" Natsu remarked, with wide eyes.

"Uh, what's just happened?" Gray said, with a puzzled expression as well.

"I'll explain later. All you need to know is that Kakashi-sensei just saved all of us! He did it again!" Naruto responded, with a proud grin. The guild master looked with an expression of shock and confusion.

"What happened? Where did my blast go? That shinobi, what did he do this time? I noticed something appearing vaguely around my blast, it looked as if it was absorbed in some sort of vortex. But, how can this be?" he mumbled, with wide eyes. Kakashi stumbled, nearly losing his balance, causing the others to grab his arms.

"That took, more effort that I expected. I am nearly out" he thought, panting.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" Gray said with concern.

"He's fine, he just needs to rest! That jutsu takes a lot of chakra" Naruto tried to sound calm, although we couldn't totally hide his own concern.

"Then let him rest. He gave us a chance, now it's our turn to follow up" Natsu said, as he stepped forward. The dark, purple fog had slowly started to clear, and the mages and the shinobi instantly breathed easier, feeling like a burden had been lifted from their chests.

"The fog has cleared. This should make things a little easier. Let's do this!" Gray said, with some confidence.

"Not yet! I don't think I will be much good for the rest of the fight, but there's one more thing that I need to do. Natsu!" Kakashi said with a louder voice, causing the pink haired mage to turn towards him, with mild wonder.

"Katon, Gokakyu!" the white haired jonin said, as he shot a large fire ball, which crashed on him.

"Eh?! What are you doing, Kakashi-sensei? This guy is on our side!" Naruto stammered nervously, with a shocked expression. However, his eyes grew wide in shock, and his mouth hang agape, as he saw Natsu eating the flames, vigorously.

"I'll explain to you later! All you need to know is, that Kakashi just gave us a better chance" Gray responded, with a satisfied grin.

"I leave the rest to you, guys" Kakashi mumbled, as he fell on his knee.

"Thanks for the meal! We'll pick it up from here!" Natsu said decisively, as he wiped his mouth, and pumped his fists. He then charged his magical power, roaring and surrounding himself in bright flames.

"He got stronger after eating the flames?!" Naruto observed, still surprised.

"The Dragon Slayer just powered up! Why you!" Master Sid growled, angrily.

"Here I go!" Natsu said as he charged his magic up to his peak, and dashed forward with remarkable speed, attacking with a barrage of swift strikes, that the guild master had a hard time dodging this time. Natsu managed to land a hard blow on his opponent's face, followed by another one to his mid section, and continued with a series of heavy strikes.

"He's doing it! That fire jutsu really charged him up!" Naruto said excited. "It's not only that, though. The guild master also looks slower than usual" he noticed, as Natsu landed another strike.

"That last move he made, it must have taken a ton of magic. He grew tired by his own move. Makes sense though, he couldn't have used such a devastating move, without complications" Gray commented, as he looked around, noticing the ruble of the guild around him.

"This fight, goes to us!" Natsu roared, as he attacked with another fiery punch, but Master Sid blocked it by grabbing the fist.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, boy!" he yelled, as he landed a hard strike on his own, causing Natsu to move back, staggered.

"Do you think you can win this with a simple fist fight, you fool? I won't be defeated that easy!" the dark guild master said angrily, as he surrounded his fist with dark lightning and landed another punch. He then continued with a hard strike with his boot on Natsu's face, and leapt forward, landing another hard blow, sending him flying backwards. Naruto and Gray, however, were already on the move and both of them attacked at the same time, Naruto focusing his chakra and landing a strong kick, and Gray surrounding his fist with thick ice and striking with a hard punch. Both of the powerful strikes found their target, and sent the guild master skidding backwards.

"I got a good idea about how to finish this! It will just take me a moment to get prepared" Naruto said, with a confident smile.

"All right then, I guess I'll go first!" Gray grinned, as he charged his magic, creating a number of large, ice made blades on his forearms, and dashed forward.

"Hyojin, Nana Renbu!" he said sharply, as she started spinning around swiftly, landing a barrage of strong strikes on his opponent, and sending him flying upwards. The guild master then said a number of orange figures jumping towards him, holding large, blue orbs.

"Double, Odama Rasengan!" Naruto said in unison with his shadow clones, as they got the guild master in the middle of their large, blue spheres, creating a powerful explosion. Naruto was sent backwards from the force of the blast, but landed on his feet, while the guild master spun around in mid air. As Master Sid slowly started falling towards the ground, he tried to recover, and began charging his magic power, only to notice Natsu being surrounded in bright flames.

"Metsuriugi, Guuren Bakuenji!" Natsu roared, as he moved his forearms around, shooting a barrage a bright, devastating, flaming waves. The powerful attack crashed on Master Sid and sent flying high in the air once more, before he fell on the ground, with a thud.

"He, heh! That settles it!" Gray said with a grin.

"We win!" Naruto said, pumping his fist in the air.

"We did it!" Natsu yelled triumphantly, as he fell on his knees, and raised both of his arms.

"Heh, it looks like it's finally over. Good job, guys! I knew you could do it!" Kakashi thought with content, as he smiled proudly, under his mask. He then noticed a number of sunrays slowly breaking through the windows and the half destroyed roof, and brightening the place around them.

* * *

><p>The sound of heavy marching disturbed the apparent stillness of the forest, as a number of soldiers, equipped with large shields, long spears, and clear, glistering, white armor, which reflected the light of the sun, stopped on the eves of the forest.<p>

"Halt, men!" the commander, a young man, with long, black hair, dressed in white, and wearing a pair of clear glasses, said with a commanding voice.

"Is this the place, Captain Lahar?" one of the soldiers that stood behind him, said.

"Indeed, lieutenant! We have reached our destination. Now, I want each of you to be on your guard, we are entering enemy territory. We may be aware of the situation, but there is no telling what we might encounter. Now, let's move it!" captain Lahar commanded, with a wave of his hand.

"Yes sir!" the soldiers said at once, as they started moving towards the forest.

* * *

><p>"Man, what a rush! That guy took forever to stay down" Natsu said tiredly, as he sat on the ground.<p>

"It would be easier if you hadn't messed up, you idiot!" Gray said, as he stood near him, and folded his arms.

"What? I messed up? Did you hurt your big head, or something?" Natsu yelled, as he instantly got up.

"You got your ass kicked!" Gray said simply.

"You didn't do any better!" Natsu responded angrily.

"Of course I did! I saved your ass!" Gray shot back.

"You wanna go, ice face?" Natsu growled.

"Fine by me, hot pants!" Gray said, as the two of them butted heads, glaring each other.

"Hey guys, calm down! There's no reason to get all upset now" Naruto tried to calm them, as he stood between them, raising his hands in defense.

"Hey, look who's up!" Gray said, as they both turned towards the blond shinobi.

"Like you did any better, shorty!" Natsu yelled, pointing his finger towards him.

"Shorty?!" Naruto thought, as his eyebrows started twitching.

"Who are you calling shorty, you stupid stripper?" he snapped, moving around his fists furiously.

"Hey, don't call me a stripper! That's his thing!" Natsu responded, pointing his thumb towards Gray.

"I don't want to hear that from you! You are the one who took off his shirt in the middle of the fight! And it's better to be a stripper than a pair of knuckleheads like the two of you!" Gray shot back.

"Yeah, because you are such a genius!" Naruto said, as the hot headed teenagers continued their bickering. Kakashi let out a small sign, and shook his head as he watched them, but then he smiled fondly.

"They are still so energetic after all this fighting!" he thought, before he turned around, and moved slowly towards the guild master.

"I lost! That was, unexpected" Master Sid mumbled, as Kakashi stood near him.

"You were a strong opponent. But we had each other. It wasn't only our skill, but also our bonds that made the difference" the white haired jonin responded.

"Your bonds, huh? I guess I underestimated how far this stubborn feeling can push someone. How naïve!" Master Sid mumbled, as if talking to himself.

"Go then, Hatake Kakashi! You and your apprentices, have achieved victory, in this fight! But this changes nothing! True power lies in darkness! This is how things are. Darkness, is eternal!" the guild master continued, with a louder voice, his yellow eyes gleaming once more.

"Maybe you are right. Maybe darkness in eternal. But so is light! And you, are certainly not eternal" Kakashi said, calmly. Master Sid only laughed silently in response, before he lost consciousness. Kakashi stared at him for a moment, before he turned his back decisively, and moved towards the still bickering teenagers, without looking back.

"Okay guys, that's enough! It's about time we get out of here. You can continue your arguments once we've reached the others" he said simply, as the three teenagers, blinked and turned towards him.

"Well, I think that's a good idea" Naruto responded.

"I agree. I think I've had enough of this place" Gray nodded.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" Natsu said lively, as he moved towards the exit of the guild. The others simply shook their heads, and followed after him, with relieved smiles on their faces.

* * *

><p>"Where are those guys? It's been a while since they've been gone" Lucy said as she got up, worry evident on her face.<p>

"Calm down, Lucy" Erza said, calmly.

"I am trying, Erza, but I can't! What if something happened? What if they need help?" Lucy insisted.

"Then you wouldn't be able to help. In your current condition, you would only get in the way" Neji responded, in a matter of fact way.

"Neji! That wasn't nice at all!" Lee said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You may be a strong shinobi, but your manners could use some improvement!" Erza said, disapprovingly.

"I am just stating the facts. In moments like this, we need to remain calm, and assess the situation carefully" Neji said. "But you are right, maybe I was a little steep. I do apologize" he added, more kindly.

"No, you are right! I wouldn't be able to do much, like this. If only I was stronger" Lucy said silently the last words, clenching her fists.

"Perhaps you guys should go and help them, after all. We have moved to another location, and there is little chance about any other mages appearing. And if someone does appear, I will take care of it! I am already feeling much better!" Lee said, raising his fist with a passionate expression.

"This might be a good idea. Master Sid is too strong, and those guys have already fought. Maybe you should go and help them. Kenji and I will take care of things here, if anyone else appears!" Honoko suggested.

"We appreciate the offer, but that won't be necessary, Honoko. There's no reason for any of us to go to their aid. Natsu and Gray will take care of things, I'm sure of it!"Erza said, with a determined expression.

"So will Naruto, and Kakashi. If anyone can do this, it's those guys" Sasuke added, with confidence.

"I'll have to agree with these two. Salamander is too stubborn to go down! And that shinobi, he is one tough guy for sure. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have a good feeling about this fight" Kenji said, with a small smile.

"Aye! Natsu, and Gray, and Kakashi, and that other guy will definitely win!" Happy said, with a spirited voice. Lucy simply looked at their smiling faces, and a faint smile was formed on her lips as well.

"Yeah, you're right! They will surely win this fight! I just, I can't wait to see them again!" the blond girl said, looking towards the ground.

"Don't fret on it. This may happen sooner than you expect!" Neji responded, with an enigmatic smile.

"What? What do you mean?" Lucy asked vividly, as she looked up.

"Hey, everyone!" a familiar voice was suddenly heard, causing a small group to turn towards the direction of the voice.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed enthusiastically.

"There they are! I told you that everything will be fine!" Erza claimed, as she folded her arms, with a proud expression.

"That's good, but why are you so proud?" Honoko mumbled, with a deadpan expression.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted, raising his hand casually, as he, along with Natsu, Naruto, and Gray, reached the others.

"Natsu, I'm so glad to see you again!" Lucy cried out relieved, as she hugged Natsu tightly for one more time on the same day.

"I'm glad to see you too, Lucy! But why do you sound so relieved? Did you really doubt that I would do it?" Natsu responded with a wide smile, as he gladly returned the hug.

"Sure, you did it!" Gray shook his head, with a small smile.

"Lucy is really excited to see Natsu again!" Happy chimed, with a teasing expression.

"What? Of-of course, I am! I mean, I am happy to see everyone back. That's all!" Lucy said hastily, as she moved away from Natsu with a flushed expression.

"You liiike him!" Happy said teasingly, causing Lucy to grab him tightly between her arms.

"Shut up, you stupid cat!" she growled, as he struggled with the blue cat.

"Help! Lucy has gone crazy again!" Happy said, dramatically.

"Well, it did take you guys a while. And you don't exactly seem to be in a good condition" Erza commented, smiling as well.

"Good condition? These guys are totally messed up! What happened to your shirts? Even your jacket is completely ragged, Naruto" Sasuke said, with a smirk.

"What, this? Yeah, that's too bad! It's a good thing I have spares back in Konoha!" Naruto responded, wrapping his arms around his head, casually.

"And this comes from the guy who walks around in a half open, white shirt" Gray added, sarcastically.

"I've told you already, it's for practical reasons! You idiot!" Sasuke said, with an irritated expression.

"Sure, practical!" Gray scoffed.

"You guys have changed locations. How come?" Kakashi asked, looking around with wonder.

"The previous location got a little, messy. So, we had to move" Neji responded simply.

"I see" Kakashi nodded, with a knowing expression.

"So, what happens now?" Lucy asked, causing everyone to turn towards her, causing her to slightly sweat drop, before they looked at each other.

"Well, the mission is over. So, I suppose, we should be getting back" Erza said, in a matter of fact way.

"Sounds like a plan" Gray agreed.

"We also need to find a way to get back to our world. There is no point in dwelling here any longer. How are we going to do that, is a very good question though" Kakashi said, thoughtfully.

"Have you guys considered it at all, while you were still at the village?" he asked, turning towards the shinobi.

"Tsunade-sama had some seal specialists examine the scrolls, from the research department. She also examined the scrolls thoroughly herself. They managed to get close to activating the seal from a different location, but couldn't verify it, there wasn't enough time. Besides, we are not even sure if it would work in whatever world we would end up" Neji explained.

"We brought the results of their research with us, and followed the directions that you sent us with Pakkun, to find the guild of Fairy Tail. The guild master who saw the notes we brought was pretty positive that a way would be found, and got some of his mages to work on figuring out a way" Sasuke added.

"I'm sure Gramps will find a way! No reason to worry!" Natsu said with confidence.

"Indeed! You can come to the guild with us, and find out about the results of their research yourselves" Erza said.

"We are grateful for your help! I know we could count on you!" Kakashi said, gratefully.

"What's with that reaction? Of course we would help you" Gray said.

"Besides, we are friends now, aren't we?" Lucy said with a warm smile. Kakashi turned towards the rest of the shinobi and saw their expressions, Naruto's wide smile, Lee's sparkling grin, Sasuke's thin line that resembled a smile, and even Neji's content expression, before he smiled under his mask.

"Of course we are!" he responded, as he turned towards the mages, and gave them an eye smile.

"That's nice, but what about these guys?" Gray said, as everyone turned towards the ex members of Black Wing.

"It has come to this, hasn't it?" Kenji said, lightly, as Honoko shifted uncomfortably.

"They helped us repeatedly. They even defended us from their former comrades" Lee said.

"It's not really for us to decide. What do you want to do?" Erza said simply, as she moved closer to them.

"Huh? You are asking us?" Honoko gasped in shock.

"What are you talking about? Aren't you going to turn us in?" Kenji said in disbelief.

"It's true that you were in a dark guild. However, your actions have proved that you do not share the mindset that usually applies to such mages. I think that everyone will agree, that you deserve a second chance" Erza said with a warm expression, as everyone nodded in agreement.

"You can join a decent guild this time!" Gray said.

"This is, an unusual situation, especially for our standards. But I guess it's safe to say, that you can be trusted" Kakashi deducted.

"Huh? How about that!" Kenji said, with surprise.

"Erza, are you sure?" Honoko mumbled, with uncertainty.

"Certainly! The choice is yours! What do you want to do?" Erza insisted.

"Actually, I have no idea! I haven't really given it a thought. I guess, I could just travel around for a while. I always like travelling!" Kenji said, with a small smile.

"Hey, I like travelling too! But it's always nice to have somewhere to return too!" Natsu said.

"Aye!" Happy added.

"I'll keep that in mind" Kenji grinned.

"How about you, Honoko?" Erza turned towards the red haired girl.

"Well, I…" Honoko fumbled with her words as she looked down, and Erza noticed with surprise, that she started fidgeting.

"I guess, joining a guild sounds pretty nice! And I would really like, to join Fairy Tail!" she mumbled timidly, as she looked up with a flushed expression.

"Really?" Gray said with surprise, but let out a small gasp as Lucy elbowed him.

"What was that for?" he mumbled, irritated.

"Shh! Can't you see how shy she is being?" Lucy scolded him, with a low voice.

"I know. That's why it's so surprising!" Gray whispered back, as he remembered their first encounter with the red haired mage, who barely resembled the timid girl that stood a little further from him at that moment.

"I expected that. Well, it's not entirely up to us, but I don't think that Master is going to have any problem. You can come with us, and ask him. I, for once, would be happy to have you with us!" Erza said warmly, as he put her hand on Honoko's shoulder.

"Thank you, Erza! You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that!" she said, with a joyful smile.

"That settles it then! Let's go back!" Natsu said, vividly.

"Someone's coming" Neji suddenly said.

"Again? Who is it this time?" Lucy said.

"I am not sure. They are not the mages again, but it seems to be quite a large group. And they are really close" Neji responded.

"That's obvious. We can all hear them by now" Kakashi said.

"I wouldn't leave quite yet, if I were you" a voice was heard, as a dark haired, young man appeared, followed by several, armed men.

"This guy. It's the same guy who appeared last time! The guy from the Magic Council" Natsu said, clenching his fists.

"I see that you remember me. My name is Lahar, captain of the Rune Knights of the Magic Council" the dark haired, young man said with a formal tone. Kenji looked with a serious expression, while Honoko shook nervously.

"You guys have a habit of appearing when everything is already settled! Where were you when all the fighting was being done?" Gray scoffed angrily.

"Calm down, Gray" Lucy whispered, with a warning tone.

"What is the reason of your arrival, captain Lahar?" Erza asked, with a serious expression.

"I think you already know the answer to this, Erza Scarlet. We are here to apprehend these two! We have already taken into custody the rest of the members of Black Wing, including Sigmund the Vanguard. These two are the only ones left" Lahar said, with a firm voice.

"What? You got to be kidding!" Natsu yelled.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Naruto started saying, but Kakashi held him by his shoulder, shaking his head slowly.

"This is not our business, Naruto. It's unfortunate, but we cannot interfere" he said silently, with a serious expression, although it was obvious that he was pretty upset as well.

"But, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto tried to say, before he stopped and lowered his head. "Yeah, you are right. I understand" he finished, with a disappointed expression.

"You are here to take them? But, they helped us!" Lucy said desperately.

"They are good guys! They gave us important information about their guild master!" Gray added.

"They resigned for their guild while their guild master was still standing. They even defended us from their former guild members" Erza said, but she had a feeling that their words wouldn't make much difference.

"Oh, they did? It's a little funny saying that they resigned, since dark guilds are not even official to begin with. It doesn't change the fact that these two were important members of a powerful, and dangerous dark guild! I'm here with strict orders to apprehend them, and it would be wise if you didn't make a fuss like last time" Lahar said strictly.

"Last time? You took a good guy last time too!" Natsu said furiously.

"We cannot let you do the same thing again!" Gray added, as he stood next to him.

"Guys! That's enough! We shouldn't go against the Counsil's orders!" Erza suddenly said, strictly.

"Erza" Gray mumbled, as Natsu clenched his fists, but remained silent.

"That's a wise attitude. It's refreshing to see that there is still someone with good sense among you" Lahar said, with an approving tone. Erza turned slowly towards Honoko, with a sad expression.

"It's okay, Erza! We wouldn't like to cause you any more trouble" Honoko said, with a bitter smile.

"I'm sorry" Erza mumbled, as Honoko simply nodded in understanding, before she stepped forward.

"We are ready to give ourselves up" she said with a stronger voice.

"Yeah, do your thing or whatever" Kenji said, as he stood next to her.

"Take them in! They have given themselves up willingly, so be gentle with them" Lahar gave the command, but he said the last words with a milder tone. As the soldiers apprehended the two mages, Lahar moved closer.

"Unlike last time, this was an official mission, approved by the Magic Council. Master Makarov himself, has informed us and pointed to the location of the event. This speaks well for the standing of your guild" he said, with a formal tone.

"Gee, that's so nice of you!" Natsu scoffed, trying to remain calm.

"These two may have been members of a dark guild, but their record is not very heavy. If you claim that they have helped you, they you can testify in favor of them in front of the Council. I cannot talk for certain, but there is good chance that this will make their sentence more lenient" Lahar suggested.

"Thank you for your information. I will handle this personally" Erza responded.

"Good. Then my work here is done" Lahar concluded, as he turned around and moved towards the Rune Knights, before he stopped in front of the shinobi.

"You are the shinobi, aren't you? Master Makarov has informed about you" the black haired, young man said.

"Yes, that would be us" Kakashi responded.

"We have apprehended the shinobi that you were after, as well. Although, I am not sure what the Counsil is going to do about him. This is, an unusual situation" Lahar said, thoughtfully.

"I understand. I would like you to give him to us, he must be returned to our village, and be judged there" Kakashi said, with a formal voice.

"I have no authority over that matter. You will have to make your claim at the Counsil. I have a feeling that they will agree to your terms, but don't take my word for granted" Lahar responded.

"We appreciate the notion" Kakashi said.

"And something else. It is imperative that you return to your world as soon as possible. Further stay here will make things, complicated" Lahar said.

"We understand" Kakashi bowed his head slightly. Lahar bowed in response as well, before he walked towards his soldiers.

"All right, men, we are done here! Let's move along!" we said with a commanding voice.

"Yes, sir!" the Rune Knights said obediently, as they slowly moved away, with their heavy footing.

"What a jerk!" Natsu snapped, after the soldiers moved further.

"I agree! He reminds me of those official elders back at the village!" Naruto said angrily.

"I don't think this guy is that bad. He did only what he was ordered" Sasuke said.

"It can't be helped. Every land has its laws" Neji said, looking slightly frustrated as well.

"It's too bad though! Those two were good guys" Lucy said.

"They totally were! They were filled with the power of youth!" Lee said, clenching his fists.

"Aye! It would be fun if that girl had joined the guild" Happy agreed.

"Are you okay, Erza?" Gray said with concern, as Erza remained silent.

"Hmm? Yeah, I am fine Gray. It's gonna be fine, all I have to do, is go and speak to the council!" Erza responded, trying to sound confident.

"Erza, you are hiding your feelings again" Gray though, with a serious expression.

"Come on everyone, let's get going already! It's getting late, and we are done here. There's no point in remaining here any longer" Erza said decisively, before she turned towards Kakashi.

"You should come along with us, Kakashi-san. I am sure that Master will have a lot to discuss with you" she said.

"I guess, you are right. We'll tag along" Kakashi nodded in agreement, as the large group slowly made its way, through the thick forest.

**Author's note: ****So, t****his chapter concludes the fight between the Fairy Tail mages and the shinobi of Konoha, against the mages of Black Wing. I tried to make some balanced, back and forth fights, and I hope I did this well. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews and thoughts will be greatly appreciated. The next chapter will be updated soon, within this week. Until next time.**


	20. Bonds through worlds

**Author's note: ****The new chapter is up! I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail.**

**A SHINOBI IN EARTHLAND**

**CHAPTER 20**

It was late in the evening, when the large group reached the guild of Fairy Tail.

"We are finally here!" Lucy said, with a small sigh.

"About time! I can't wait to have a good meal" Natsu said.

"Aye! A nice, fresh fish would be great now" Happy agreed.

"This is your guild? It looks bigger than I thought!" Naruto commented, as they got inside the large building. The guild was mostly empty, but there were still a couple of people left, sitting at the bar.

"Welcome back, everyone!" Mirajane greeted with a smile, as the large group moved closer to the bar.

"You guys are finally back! It sure took you a while" Cana said.

"I'm so glad to see you again! I was so worried" Wendy said, with a relieved expression.

"Hey, Mira-san, Cana! We figured you'd still be here" Lucy greeted, smiling as well. "Although, it's a little surprising that you are still here, Wendy" she continued, as she turned towards the blue haired girl.

"Well, someone had to wait for you. To welcome you back" Mirajane responded with a wink.

"And I, um, wanted to see you guys, to make sure that you are okay" Wendy said with a timid expression. "Of course, I knew you would be fine" she continued with a lighter tone, as she smiled joyfully.

"I am the one who told you that everything would be fine! See, I was right" Charle said, as she folded her small arms.

"You were worried too, Charle" Wendy pointed out.

"Hmph! Maybe a little bit. But I was more confident than you" Charle said, with a stubborn expression.

"You guys looked a little roughed up. Tough fights?" Cana commented, noticing the condition of the shinobi and the mages.

"A little bit. Nothing that we couldn't handle" Gray responded casually.

"It's good to see you again, Kakashi-san! And the rest of you, too" Mirajane said, with a kind smile.

"Thank you, Mirajane-san! We are glad to see you too" Kakashi responded, with a nod of his head.

"Mira, is Master here?" Erza asked.

"Of course I am here, Erza! Where else would I be?" a rough voice was heard, as the guild master came from behind the storehouse, holding a large bottle.

"We are glad to see you again, Master" Erza smiled.

"Not as glad as I am to see all of you again, Erza" Master Makarov responded, as he sat casually on top of the bar, and looked the mages and the shinobi carefully, before he smiled.

"I can see that you had some tough battles, but you managed to succeed again! I am proud of you!" he said, with a wide smile.

"We wouldn't have succeeded without the help of our friends from Konoha!" Erza said.

"That's kind of you, Erza, but actually, we helped each other. It was thanks to our teamwork, that we made it through" Kakashi pointed out.

"This is great to hear! Let me officially thank you then, on behalf of Fairy Tail, friends from another land! And also declare that you, shinobi of Konoha, are friends of Fairy Tail! We would be glad to have you as our honored guests in our guild!" Master Makarov said, with an official tone.

"That sounds nice! I could spend a couple of days in this place" Naruto said casually, as he looked around.

"We appreciate the sentiment, Makarov-sama, and we are honored to hear you say that. But, I think it's about time we get back to our world. We've been away from Konoha for quite a while" Kakashi responded, politely.

"Of course, I understand! We have already examined the scrolls that you brought with you, and although we are not really familiar with them, we were able to analyze them. In addition, some my brightest mages, along with me of course, have made an extended research at our library. I am fairly positive, that with a combination of your scrolls, and some special runes, we will be able to briefly open a gate, and send you back to your home" the guild master said.

"This is wonderful to hear" Kakashi responded, with controlled enthusiasm.

"You are able to open a gate? This is quite impressive" Sasuke said.

"So, we can get back to Konoha?" Naruto said enthusiastically.

"Not yet, young man. We are very close, but there are still a few details that we need to go over again. We will continue in the morning, and I am fairly confident that we will be ready" Master Makarov responded with certainty.

"Besides, it's getting late and you all had a rough day. You should all get some rest" the old mage suggested, as he took another look at the large group.

"I suppose you are right, we shouldn't attempt a trip like that in our current condition. Getting some rest, sounds like a good idea" Kakashi nodded in agreement, before he turned to the rest of the shinobi.

"Did you guys bring any camp equipment?" he asked.

"Camp equipment?! There's no reason for that, you can stay at our guild!" Master Makarov said vividly.

"We have a couple of rooms on the upper floor that should be just fine" Mirajane added, with a smile.

"A nice bed does sound better than the ground" Naruto commented.

"We appreciate your kindness. We'll take those rooms, then" Kakashi nodded in agreement, before he turned towards Natsu and the others. "I guess, we'll see you guys tomorrow" he said.

"Of course!" Natsu responded, with a wide smile.

"Enjoy your stay at our guild" Erza said, as Mirajane showed them to the upper floor.

"I suggest you do the same" the guild master said, as he turned towards his mages.

"You don't have to tell us twice, Master. I am already dreaming of my bed and a hot bath" Lucy said with a yawn.

"Happy and I will stay for a while. We want to grab a bite first" Natsu said.

"Suit yourself, then! What about you guys?" Lucy turned towards Gray and Erza.

"We are coming too. We could also use some rest" Erza said, as Gray nodded in agreement.

"Good! We'll see you guys tomorrow, then!" Lucy greeted. The rest of the group waved back, as the Fairy Tail mages made their way out of the guild. The three of them walked together casually, enjoying the calm, night city.

"This feels nice! Still, I can't wait to get to my place" Lucy said as she looked around, with a content smile.

"Yeah, I get what you are saying. Well, we are almost there" Gray said. The mages continued their way, chatting, until they reached Lucy's apartment. Lucy waved at them smiling, and then moved towards her apartment, with a gleeful expression.

"So, what shall we do now?" Gray asked, as he turned towards Erza.

"I think I'll head towards Fairy Hills. Lucy's idea seems pretty appealing right now. A hot bath and a warm bed sound just about perfect. You should head to your place too" the red haired girl suggested, with a light smile.

"Sure, I will, later. Would you like some company until you get to Fairy Hills? I could use another small walk" Gray said. Erza remained silent for a few moments, before she responded.

"I suppose, I wouldn't mind some company" she said, simply. Gray smiled, as the two of them resumed their way, and moved towards Fairy Hills. They walked together in a comfortable silence, although Gray would occasionally glance towards Erza. She seemed relaxed and in relatively good mood, but Gray knew that she wasn't as well as she appeared to be.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a while, as they passed by the river.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm a little tired, but other than that I am feeling simply fine. Why are you asking?" Erza said, with a calm expression.

"Because something tells me that you are not as well as you claim to be. What happened with the council, it brought back some recent memories, didn't it?" Gray said with a serious expression, as Erza stopped walking. She remained silent again, and Gray simply waited, giving her the time she needed.

"Maybe it did. What happened was, understandable and expected, and maybe the reasonable thing to happen. But still, it wasn't right! I, I should take care of things. Make them right!" Erza said with a choked voice, clenching her fists. Suddenly, she gasped in surprise, feeling something warm pressing against her body, and it took her a few seconds to realize what was happening. Gray was hugging her, wrapping his strong arms around her, firmly but gently.

"Gray! What are you doing?" she mumbled surprised, feeling her face heat up.

"It's okay, Erza! You are not alone! You don't have to hold back in front of me! I am here for you" Gray said softly, as she held her closer. Erza simply smiled and returned the hug, feeling relieved, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I know. Thank you, Gray!" she whispered, as they remained in this position for a little longer. After a while, they broke the hug, Gray looking slightly embarrassed and Erza smiling lightly. They walked together towards Fairy Hills, and after a warm goodnight, Gray continued his way with a joyful smile.

* * *

><p>The sun had risen in the city of Magnolia on a pleasant morning, as a group of teenagers, and a winged, blue cat, made their way in the city. Natsu, Lucy, Naruto, Lee, and Happy, walked casually, enjoying the warm weather. Until the necessary preparations for the shinobi's journey back to their world were ready, Master Makarov suggested that they enjoy the morning. Natsu and Lucy suggested they showed them around the city, and Naruto and Lee were more than enthusiastic at this idea.<p>

"That's a really nice town! It certainly has a different feeling than Konoha, especially with that river" Naruto commented, as he wrapped his arms behind his head, casually.

"It sure is filled with youth! I wonder if I should take some laps around, to see it better" Lee said.

"I would advise against that. The town is fairly big" Lucy responded.

"I see. Then I should make only a hundred and fifty laps, instead of two hundred" Lee said with a spirited voice, as he raised his fist.

"What?!" the Fairy Tail mages said in unison, widening their eyes in surprise.

"Oh yeah, Fuzzy-brows does that all the time" Naruto said, casually.

"I see. Where did you get the new jacket anyway?" Lucy said, pointing at Naruto's brand new jacket, that was identical to the one he wore the previous day.

"This? Well, it turns out that I did bring a spare with me, after all! I knew it would come in handy!" the blond shinobi responded, enthusiastically.

"Way to go, Naruto-kun! That was most youthful of you!" Lee approved, giving a thumbs up, with a sparkling grin.

"How many of these do you have? And how's that youthful, anyway?" Lucy said, exasperated.

"So, where do you guys want to go next?" Natsu asked, with a calmer expression.

"I don't know. Do you have any good ramen shops around here?" Naruto said.

"You just ate your breakfast at the guild! And mine too! Besides, ramen in the morning?" Lucy questioned.

"What about it? Every time of the day is right for ramen! Not to mention that I still haven't got my fill today, and I can't wait until we get back to Konoha! Who knows how long that's gonna take" Naruto responded, as he rubbed his stomach.

"I like the way you think! Come on, I know a great place that makes ramen! I haven't got any in a while, so I'll make up for that today!" Natsu said enthusiastically.

"You spoke to my heart! Let's go already!" Naruto said, with sparkling eyes.

"Aye! Let's also get some fish! Fish is like ramen, you can eat it every time of the day!" Happy said, with the same expression.

"That's the spirit, Naruto-kun, Natsu-kun, Happy-kun! Okay then, let's go get some fish and ramen!" Lee yelled, more enthusiastically than everyone.

"You guys are impossible!" Lucy simply mumbled, as she shook her head with an amused expression. The small group then moved quickly, with Lucy trying to keep up with the rest of the group, and it wasn't long before they reached the ramen shop, and got inside.

"This isn't Ichiraku's, but it will do just fine!" Naruto commented, as they took their seats on the counter, and he looked around.

"Old man! Bring me five bowls of miso ramen, please!" he made the order eagerly, after spotting the chef.

"I will have the same!" Natsu added, with the same enthusiasm.

"Yosh! I won't let you surpass me! Bring me the same, too!" Lee yelled as well.

"These guys are way too enthusiastic, don't you think, Happy?" Lucy mumbled.

"I want five bowls of fish ramen, please!" the blue cat said with a spirited voice, raising his paw.

"Why do I bother?" Lucy sighed, as she leaned on her arms. The chef looked at this rowdy group with a surprised expression, before he smiled with content.

"Your order is coming right up, sirs!" he announced, as a few moments later, the first bowls of ramen appeared before them. Naruto and Natsu dug in eagerly, with Lee and Happy following with the same enthusiasm. It wasn't long, before towers of bowls started appearing in front of the three teenagers, with Happy stopping after the fourth bowl, much to his dismay. Lucy, who was still in her first bowl, looked on with a dumbstruck expression, like most of the customers, including the chef, in the store.

"Are these guys for real?" she mumbled. She had gotten used to Natsu, and sometimes Gray, acting like that, but she didn't expect Naruto and Lee to be the same.

"Two more bowls for me!" Naruto yelled.

"Three more for me!" Natsu ordered.

"Hey, are you challenging me? There is no way you can beat me at ramen eating!" Naruto snapped.

"We will see that!" Natsu shot back, as the two, hot headed youths, glared at each other.

"I won't lose to any of you!" Lee roared, with fire in his eyes.

"I think I might be scared!" Lucy said.

"Yo, everyone! I figured I would find you here!" a familiar voice was heard, as Lucy turned around, only to see Kakashi standing next to her, with his hand raised.

"Kakashi-san! Finally, someone reasonable! Where have you been?" Lucy said, with a relieved expression.

"I went with Erza to your Magic Council, to sort things out with the shinobi I came here looking for. Everything turned out okay, and Erza's word in favor of those two mages who helped us, Kenji and Honoko, was received positively" Kakashi explained.

"That's really good to hear! So, you came back from the Council?" Lucy asked.

"Not really. I've been in the city for a while now. I figured I would find you guys here, but I first made a stop at the book store" Kakashi responded, lightly.

"Why did you stop at the bookstore?" Lucy narrowed her eyes in suspicion, as the others continued swallowing down huge amounts of ramen, filling the counter with ramen bowls.

"Out of curiosity, mostly. I didn't expect to find any Icha-Icha books here, but I found something equally interesting" Kakashi said, as he took out a small book with a green cover from his pocket.

"I need an adult!" Lucy yelled in despair, as she fell head first on the counter.

"Aye!" Happy said drowsily, as he lied on the counter, as well.

* * *

><p>The guild members of Fairy Tail watched nervously, as Neji and Sasuke stared each other, intensely.<p>

"You have been waiting for a long time for this, haven't you?" Sasuke said, with a smirk.

"Indeed I have. It's time to find out which is superior, the Sharingan of the Uchiha, or the Byakugan of the Hyuga?" Neji said, with a serious expression.

"The Sharingan is already superior with its proficient use of Genjutsu, and the ability to copy Ninjutsu. Now, I shall prove that it better in Taijutsu as well. It's faster and more accurate" Sasuke claimed, as he activated his Sharingan.

"Don't count on it! The Byakugan offers better chakra control, which makes it better in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. And you are about to find this out" Neji said firmly, narrowing his eyes, as he activated his Byakugan.

"Are you ready then?" Sasuke said, intensely.

"Here it goes! Service shot!" Neji said decisively, as he raised his racket and hit the small ball, swiftly.

"Not bad! But not as good as this!" Sasuke said, as he hit the ball back with his own racket. Neji moved to a better position and hit the ball again, as the two shinobi started a quick paced game.

"Hey, these guys are good! And they are really into it!" Macao commented.

"They sure are! You think they are going to leave the ping pong table any time soon?" Wakaba said.

"Not a chance! They are too stubborn for that" Macao replied simply, as the two shinobi continued their quick paced game.

"They may act all serious and stuff, but they seem to fit just fine here" Cana commented, as she took a sip from her drink.

"Fairy Tail can have this sort of effect to those who spend time in the guild" Mirajane said calmly, as she wiped as large, wooden glass.

* * *

><p>It was noon, when the shinobi, along with the Fairy Tail mages, gathered in front of the bar, as the guild master was seated on the counter.<p>

"I hope you enjoyed your stay here, dear shinobi. Once again, I would like to express my deep gratitude for your assistance!" Master Makarov said, with a formal voice.

"We thank you for your kindness! I would also like to offer our thanks for your help in the success of our mission. We wouldn't have done it without you" Kakashi responded, with a formal expression, as well.

"What happened with that guy, anyway?" Naruto asked.

"I summoned Pakkun, and asked for a small favor. My Ninken will take care of him for now. When we get back to Konoha, I will summon him back, along with the rogue shinobi, and he will be judged at the village" Kakashi said.

"I see" Naruto mumbled.

"I don't really get it, but it looks like this has been taken care of" Natsu said.

"Since you mentioned your village, I would like to continue with the reason why I asked for you to come here. I am glad to tell you, that we have figured out a way to send you back to your world!" Master Makarov announced, with wide smile.

"Really? This is great!" Naruto yelled, enthusiastically.

"We are going back to Konoha!" Lee said, with the same vigor.

"We are overjoyed to hear that, Makarov-sama! How did you manage this?" Kakashi said, with controlled enthusiasm.

"Magic can achieve miracles, my friend! It wasn't easy, but Fairy Tail is not an ordinary guild, either. We managed to use the seals on the scrolls that you brought, and we have returned to you, as a base and combined them with some special runes we found in some old tomes from our library. We will be able to open a portal, that will lead you back t your world. It will only be temporarily, but it would be enough for you to enter. The runes have already been prepared outside, on the yard" Master Makarov explained.

"Good! Let's head to the yard then" Kakashi said, as the shinobi and mages got out off the guild, and approached a spot, where some glowing letters had formed a circle.

"Is everything ready, Levy, Freed?" the guild master said.

"Everything is set, Master!" Levy responded, cheerfully.

"The runes have been prepared. All that is missing now, are the scrolls that activated the seal in the first place" the green haired mage, said.

"I got them right here" Kakashi said, as he took the two small scrolls from the pockets of his vest.

"Good. If you place them in the same position that you placed them on the seal on your world, the runes will be activated, and the gate will open for a few moments" Freed said.

"It won't be for long, but it will be more than enough for you to use it" Levy added.

"We can't be completely sure, but it will most likely send you to the same spot from where you came from" Master Makarov said.

"Great! We are all set then" Kakashi said, before he turned to Natsu and the others.

"I suppose, this is goodbye. This has been, quite an adventure" the white haired jonin said, as he raised his hand. Natsu stepped forward, and shook his hand.

"It really has! You guys are pretty cool!" the pink haired mage said.

"I could say the same about you!" Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"You are pretty strong, Natsu. And you sure know how to eat. I didn't think I would find anyone who could keep up with me in ramen" Naruto commented.

"You took me to my limit too. I didn't expect we would call this a draw" Natsu said casually.

"Good luck then! Take care of your friends, Natsu" Naruto said.

"You too! And I'm sure you will be the leader of your village, Naruto!" Natsu grinned.

"That's for sure!" Naruto responded, with confidence.

"You have proved to be most youthful, my friends! I am glad I got to know you!" Lee said.

"This has certainly been interesting!" Neji commented, with a small smile.

"You guys take care" Sasuke said.

"The same goes for you! Don't forget to value your friends" Gray said, with a grin.

"Your bonds with each other are what gives you strength, and takes away your loneliness. Don't forget that" Erza added, with a warm smile.

"And even if we are away, our friendship shall remain!" Lucy said, with a smile as well.

"It sure will. Okay guys, let's get ready then" Kakashi said, as he placed the scrolls on the opposite sides of the circle. The runes started glowing, creating a large circle, and after a few moments, a bright vortex appeared.

"This is it. This is the gate!" Naruto said.

"Let's move then" Kakashi said, before he turned towards the mages once more.

"Farewell, mages of Fairy Tail! It has been fun" he waved.

"Goodbye guys! Take care of each other" the mages waved back. Kakashi looked at them for a moment, and then turned towards the shinobi.

"Ready guys?" he yelled.

"We are ready!" Naruto said.

"Let's go then!" Kakashi said decisively, as the shinobi all moved towards the gate. Kakashi got another glimpse of the mages, before he was sucked into the vortex. The way back was as swift and bumpy as when they first used the gate, and before they realized it, the shinobi found themselves lying on the soft grass.

"Ow! I still can't get used to this" Kakashi said dizzily, rubbing his head, as he tried to get back on his feet.

"Are we there yet?" Naruto mumbled, as he, along with the other shinobi, slowly got up as well.

"The place seems familiar" Lee said, as he looked around.

"It's the right place. There's the entrance of the cave" Neji pointed towards a cave.

"We are back to Konoha" Sasuke said.

"So it seems. It worked, the mages did it" Kakashi said, with a relieved tone.

"This feels a little strange. I know we were only there for a while, but I'm gonna miss those guys" Naruto said, with a small smile.

"I know what you mean, Naruto-kun!" Lee nodded in agreement.

"They have been through a lot, and they probably still have several battles ahead. But somehow, they manage to stay positive and smile. Their bonds, are indeed strong" Neji said.

"And we still have a lot to deal with. There are still the Akatsuki" Naruto said with a serious expression.

"And Itachi" Sasuke added, with a dark expression.

"You are right, we are far from over. But we will make it through this" Kakashi said, as he turned towards the others, who looked at him, surprised at his confidence.

"If we stay together, and trust our bonds and our friendship, we will make it! So far we have been divided, and that made things even harder. We need to stick together, not only us, but all the villages too! We've had our differences in the past, but this time, we have a common foe. This is a chance to come together" Kakashi said with a spirited voice.

"The villages, joining in an alliance?" Sasuke said in disbelief.

"Sounds unlikely" Neji commented, rubbing his chin.

"I like it! If we stood together from the beginning, then the Akatsuki wouldn't be able to roam around unchecked" Naruto clenched his fists.

"And if we truly try to understand each other, we may be able to forge some actual bonds with the other villages" he added, with a confident smile.

"We might even be able to find Itachi easier this way" Sasuke said thoughtfully.

"Maybe this could actually work!" Lee said, passionately.

"It would certainly be a step forward" Neji said.

"Indeed it would. We have a lot to discuss with Tsunade-sama, once we get back. But for the moment, let's go back to Konoha" Kakashi said, as he turned towards them and smiled. Naruto and the others smiled as well, and nodded in agreement. The shinobi then made their way through the forest and took a large path that led back to their village.

**Author's note: ****There goes this chapter. A light chapter, which seems to be a nice closure to this story. I hope you enjoyed it, and I would really like to know what you think about it. See you next time, guys!**


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